Howl's Love Spell
by beyond the shadows
Summary: Sophie Hatter: the only girl who had ever stayed in his presence longer than a week and not fallen hat over in heels in love with him. But when Howl decides to speed up the process . . . Chaos and hilarity ensue in this quick-paced story. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer**__ for the Whole Story: Howl's Moving Castle is a captivating story, and its creative origins cannot be traced to me._

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**Chapter 1 – Today was the Day**

Today was the day.

No longer would Sophie Hatter ignore him, distracted by the nearest dust bunny or intruding spider.  
No longer would she choose soapy water over tea with him.  
No longer would Calcifer get the extra piece of bacon while he, Howl, was left to starve with a measly four pieces.

No. Today was the day.

The day she fell irrevocably and wholly in love with him.

Howl knew it in the deepest regions of his soul. He knew it better and more deeply than he knew every line and shade of his beautiful face.

How could he not?

After all, he had a love spell.

And he had a plan. Today, he and Sophie would drink tea together, just like usual. However, her tea would have a special addition. Just a few drops. Enough to show her. Enough to make her see how truly wonderful he was in every way. Enough to see how he completed her life.

Looking back, Howl realized he should have known better. He should have seen. He should have, much as he hated to admit it, listened to Calcifer. But he didn't. And as a result, those few drops of the love spell changed his life in a way he did not foresee.

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_**A/N:**__ The chapters are short and move quickly in this fun, quirky tale. Howl does have his heart back in this tale, but old habits die hard. Keep reading - the real story begins in the next chapter. _


	2. The Deed

**Chapter 2 – The Deed**

Howl held his breath in anticipation as Sophie slowly took a sip of the love-laced tea.

This was it. The brown liquid flowed sensuously from its confines of the cup through the hallowed gates of Sophie's petal pink lips.

Sophie sighed in contentment as she placed the cup down with a slight clatter. She shot Howl a sideways glance. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked slowly.

"Like what, my dear Sophie?" Howl asked back with a guileless smile.

Sophie's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Like I'm going to explode or something - that's what. Wait a second ... was there something in the tea?"

_I've been discovered!_ Howl thought in panic. "Why, Sophie. You always say the most unkind things. Of course I wouldn't ..."

He was interrupted by a most disturbing turn of events. Sophie faced him, grabbed his arms, and then leaned in and stared at him unabashedly. Howl was mesmerized by the depths of those beautiful eyes. While he was trying to figure out if he had drunk the wrong tea, Sophie scooted a little closer. Nodding to herself as if finally deciding something of great importance, she shot Howl a smile full of such goo and sugary sweetness that he felt an urgent need to brush his teeth.

Weird as all this was, the strangest thing of all happened next. Sophie ... giggled. It was one of the most unnatural and horrible sounds Howl had ever heard in his life.

"Of course you wouldn't, Hooowwlll," Sophie cooed, placing a special emphasis on his name. "No one with a face as glorious as yours would ever consider such a low, gutter-level tactic. No. You, Howwwl, are perrrrfect."

Howl swallowed down the rising bile of pure terror. He hadn't created love. He had created a monster.


	3. Realization

**Chapter 3 – Realization**

"Calcifer! Help me!" Howl cried as he thrust Sophie towards the fire demon. This maneuver was complicated by Sophie's increasingly tight hold on his arm.

"Help you? What am I supposed to do? I warned you against this, remember?"

"You never told me that she would turn into this ... this ... terrifying monstrosity!"

Howl winced when Sophie giggled again. "Oh, Hooowwwlll. You say the nicest things," she simpered while batting her eyelashes erratically.

"See? Did you see that, Calcifer?" Howl sank to the floor in despair, his hands in his hair. He let out a quiet sob when Sophie scooted closer to him and started rubbing his arm. "Oh what am I going to do?"

"What were you expecting to happen when you fed her a stinkin' LOVE POTION?" Calcifer roared in contempt. "Those things ain't true love! They're just a cheap imitation."

"I thought it would just be a little change," Howl responded from the depths of his despair. "But it's as if it replaced her. I talk to her, and it answers. I look into her eyes, and my Sophie isn't the one looking back. This is not what I wanted."

"Well, remember what you always say, Howl," Calcifer crackled from the hearth.

"Hot water for my bath?" Howl sniffled.

"Agh! No!" Calcifer shot his fiery tongue out in frustration. "For every spell, there's a counter-spell. Sheesh. Is your appearance all you ever think about?"

"Oh. That one." A glimmer of hope flared inside him. Now determined, he majestically rose, dragging a clinging Sophie with him. With a flick of his hair and a glint of his green earring, he headed towards his spell collection.

"Calcifer! No need to despair. I shall turn this wretched situation back to normal before you consume another log!" Howl grinned in delight at the prospect. "But first things first. Calcifer!"

Expecting gratitude, the fire demon glowed brighter. "Yes, Howl?"

"Hot water for my bath. My hair is feeling a bit frazzled."

Sophie's inane giggling drowned out the fire demon's indignant response.


	4. Love  or Stalking?

**Chapter 4 - Love ... or Stalking? **

Howl carefully peeked his head out the bathroom door and looked both ways before he ventured into the hallway.

_No sign of Demonic Sophie_, he thought. He crept on tiptoes through the hall and down the stairs, breathing a sigh of relief every time a corner didn't reveal her.

Howl ran a hand through his hair wearily. He couldn't keep living like this - in fear of seeing the love of his life, jumping at every sound in his house, not even being able to enjoy his precious bath time. Sophie had tried to sneak in the bathroom while he was taking a bath. Another foot in and she might have touched some of his bath chemicals! Howl shuddered at the horrid thought. Well, a quick spell on Sophie banning her from his loo had ensured the safety of them for now.

Howl sat down at the chair in front of Calcifer, the weary stamp of defeat lining his posture. Calcifer crackled quietly in the hearth. For the first time since this sordid affair began, silence reigned in his castle.

A giggle. _Her _giggle. It shattered the silence.

Howl leaped up and turned around to see Sophie hiding in the corner, suspiciously hunched over a mound of items. Tiptoeing behind her, Howl leaned over her shoulder to see a collection of possessions - HIS possessions.

"Sophie!" Howl cried in frustration, pulling his hair. "What are you doing with my stuff? I have specifically told you not to touch my stuff!"

Sophie jumped at the sudden noise and whirled around guiltily. "Stuff? What stuff?" She pulled her skirt out to the sides in a vain attempt to hide her hoard.

"MY stuff! See? That's my ribbon. And that - see it right there? - that's my spell book," he leaned around her and started pointing out objects. With a flick of his fingers, he picked up Sophie and moved her over a foot. He then began grabbing his items one by one. "Mine. Mine. And that's mine, too!"

"Hey! You can't take that!" Sophie whined. "How will I survive when you're away if I don't have something of yours to hold on to?"

Howl thrust his face near hers, his intense stare causing Sophie to recoil. "You'll manage," he hissed.

Then, astonishingly, Sophie blushed. The odd response completely threw Howl. He was mad at her and all she could do was _blush_?

"Oh Howl! You have the most beautiful blue eyes! I shall write a poem about them ... for you," she said the last two words with a special emphasis, batting her eyelashes once again.

Calcifer snickered from the fireplace.

Howl rounded on the fire demon, ready to lash out all his frustration and emotions. "You think this is _funny_? You think this crazy, messed up situation is _funny_?"

"No, no, no! Of course not, Howl!" Calcifer said. "I just agree with her, that's all. You do have the most be-a-uuuu-tiful eyes I ever have seen," he crooned mockingly. "Hey Sophie! You should compare them to marbles or, ummm, oo-oo-oo! Twinkling blue stars."

"Stars aren't blu..." Howl started to say witheringly. Sophie interrupted. "Oh yes! What wonderful ideas, Calcifer! _Howl - your eyes - they sparkle ... like blue marbles with starlight in them... _How's that so far?"

"Oh just lovely, Sophie," Calcifer said. "In the next line, you should mention the adorable crinkle of his nose when he's angry."

"Now just a minute, you two! You can't do that!"

"Howl's right, Calcifer," Sophie said sternly. "That's ridiculous." Howl started. Maybe she was getting better! "His nose gets a whole separate sonnet to itself!"

Admitting defeat to this round, Howl turned away from the chattering couple at the fireplace and trudged upstairs with his armload of newly reclaimed possessions. As he heard a laughing comment about his "precious vanity", something Sophie usually mocked him mercilessly about, he gained new determination. He was going to find the counter-spell and save Sophie (and the rest of the castle) from herself.


	5. Revelation

**Chapter 5 - Revelation**

Howl deliberately descended the stairs. No more hiding, no more skulking. He was going to go down there, break up the poetry fest, and get to work on that counter-spell.

"Oh Howwwwl!" Calcifer cried in the Demonic Sophie tone. "There you are! You just gotta love the strong gait of your walk." The fire demon tried to flutter his eyelashes.

"Very funny," Howl said witheringly while Calcifer snickered. He looked around the seemingly empty room. "Where's Sophie?"

Calcifer gestured a fiery limb towards her curtained bedroom. Howl strode over to it and knocked on the wooden frame. A slight gasp greeted his knock, and he saw the final movements of Sophie shoving something under her pillow as he parted the curtains.

"Why hello, Sophie," Howl said. "What have you got under your pillow?" In one swift move, he used magic to block Sophie from grabbing the object and then floated it into his hands. He found himself holding a pair of his dirty socks.

Incredulously, he held the socks in front of him. "... my dirty socks? Really, Sophie?"

She crossed her arms and pouted. "Well, you did something so I couldn't get into your bathroom _or_ your room! Where else am I to get a token of yours?"

"A token? Why do you need a token?"

Calcifer jumped in the middle of the conversation. "Hey Howl! Who are you to judge? You have a COLLECTION of tokens! Remember the button you took from Marie? Or Eliza's picture of her cats? Or that cup from the shop where you shared tea with Denice? Or the fingernail clipping from Emily? That was one of your weirder ones. Oh! What about the time you ..."

"Enough already! I get it," Howl said. Then he muttered under his breath, "And that nail was very uniquely painted."

Howl turned back to Sophie. "But even Calcifer will have to admit, Sophie, that a pair of dirty socks is a bit pathetic. Even considering the fact that you are under a love spell."

"A love spell? You cast a _love_ _spell_ on me?"

Howl froze. Calcifer cackled. "Cat's outta the bag, now!"

A storm of expressions crossed Sophie's face. For a moment, Howl thought Sophie would break through the spell on her own just so she could yell at him and tell him what an idiot he was. Oh how he hoped that was true!

Alas, the potion won. Her stormy glare was quickly replaced by her clueless smile, like a cloud covering the sun.

"Oh Howl, you are just so clever with your magics and studies!" she said with a clap of her hands. "I am so proud of you."

Howl paused. "That's it?" he said after a moment. "You just accept it? I cast a LOVE SPELL on you! I deliberately manipulated your emotions and actions and all you can say is you are proud of me? Aren't you mad or upset or something?"

Sophie gave this seemingly new idea of being mad at Howl some thought. "Nope!" she finally concluded. "I think that at one time I might have been mad, but it just seems silly right now. After all, you're Howl." She said it as if that one simple fact explained everything.

While Howl was trying to decide whether _his_ Sophie was repressed or slowly being transformed into this scary creature, Sophie was doing some thinking.

"Hmmm. Hmmmmmmm. Huh. Hm."

"Howl! Sophie has a thought. Will you just ask her about it already?" Calcifer cried.

Howl looked up to see Sophie deep in thought, an odd thing to see with Demonic Sophie. She was looking up at the rafters and spiders for inspiration while she tapped her fingers on her lips.

"Hmmmm. Hm. Hmmmm."

"What is it already, Sophie?"

"Well I was just trying to figure out why you wanted to cast a love spell on me," she explained. "I mean, I was already in love with you."

Howl's world stopped.


	6. Moments of Silence

_A/N: Plot's going to pick up in the next chapter. Meanwhile, let me know what you think of this fluff so far, please. :)_

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**Chapter 6 - Moments of Silence**

_"I mean, I was already in love with you."_

Sophie had said those words so glibly, almost matter-of-fact about it. But those words changed everything for Howl.

Sophie - _his_ Sophie - was in love with him?

He stood still in the middle of the room, trying to calm his rocking world while he adjusted to this new revelation.

Sophie mistook his silence for anger. "I'm sorry, Howl! I didn't mean to question your judgment! I'm sure that if you felt the need to use a love spell then you had a good reason."

He didn't react. He didn't hear her. He was waging an internal battle over the fact that he had cast a love spell over the love of his life - over someone who loved him back. No matter what this version of Sophie said, he knew that his Sophie would not see things the same way. He had been wrong. What if his careless action pushed her away forever?

Sophie grew more and more anxious as he remained unresponsive to her profuse apologies. "You're right! I should have just been quiet. Sorry. I'm sorry!" She glanced at his face. "I know, do you want me to get your personal photo collection from your room? You look great in all of those shots!" She smiled nervously. No response. "... oorrrr I could get that mirror that you love?" she said, forgetting that she was magically barred from his room.

More silence.

Sophie started hopping up and down in anxiety. "Ok. Photos AND mirror it is!" She whirled around and ran up the stairs, in a rush to please Howl.

Silence reigned over the room. Even Calcifer kept his comments to himself.

Howl walked over to the chair by the fireplace in a daze. Slowly he lowered himself into the seat.

"Howl? You okay?"

Howl looked up slowly at Calcifer, wonder and a quiet joy shining from his eyes. "Did you hear, Calcifer? Sophie loves me."

The two sat in silence for a moment.

"Yeah, I heard," Calcifer finally said. "You really messed up this time, huh?"

Howl shook his head in awestruck wonder. "Sophie loves me."


	7. Mood Swings

**Chapter 7 - Mood Swings**

Howl ascended the stairs, one majestic step at a time. Deliberately, confidence exuding from every movement, the Wizard Howl traveled towards the pitiful crouched figure in front of his bedroom door. It was futilely banging a fist against the magic barring it from bringing happiness to its love.

Howl shook his head and clucked his tongue in exasperation. Giving Sophie a comforting pat on the head, he entered his room. He returned a few a moments later with trinkets in one arm and the other extended to magically pick up the weeping Sophie.

Weightlessness embraced them both, turning ordinary movement into a graceful dance through space.

Howl gently deposited Sophie in a corner of the living room.

"Here you go, Sophie," his rich voice rumbled as he placed the trinkets in front of her. "Some tokens for you. Now be a good girl and play quietly."

Sophie, almost gurgling with delight, set to playing with her new treasures. She rolled a glowing orange ball back and forth with one hand while she gazed rapturously at one of Howl's old buttons.

Howl straightened and glided to the chair in front of Calcifer for a quick conference. Calcifer recognized that glint in Howl's eye. That posture. That cocky insolent grin. Sophie's revelation may have changed something in the man's heart, but right now he was pure Wizard Howl. Part arrogance. Part determination. All business.

Howl leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees and fingers interwoven. "The potion's effect is mutating, Calcifer."

Calcifer crowed from his hearth. "Wizard Howl is back! Finally! I thought you'd be mopin' and whinin' forEVER. Now we can do something productive."

Howl allowed a small smirk to escape before hardening his features. "Please, Calcifer. Focus. You can gloat when this mess is over, but right now we need to focus." Howl did not care for the brief evil glint in Calcifer's glowing eyes, but the fire demon nodded his consent so Howl dismissed it for now. He rested his head in his hands. "Okay. The potion's mutating. That's obvious."

"How so?" Calcifer asked.

"Well, it was supposed to strengthen the emotions people often associate with love. Infatuation. Desire. Even a small touch of fear - for the pounding heart and shortness of breath," he explained. "But now it's affecting all of her emotions indiscriminately." He sighed heavily. "I'm no longer the center of her world," he whined in a brief return to vanity. "Her emotions are."

"Serves you right. But then ... she's a walkin' mood swing!"

"Exactly. Highly unpredictable. Extremely dangerous. Especially to men."

Calcifer paused, thinking. "Isn't that normal, though?" he ventured. "I mean, she _is _a woman..."

The sound of high-pitched cackling interrupted him. Sophie was rolling on the floor, tears of mirth streaming from her eyes. Her flailing limbs accidentally hit a nearby dresser and dishes fell all around her. A heavy frying pan landed on her hand, bruising her frail fingers. All laughter cut off abruptly as she stared in shock at her hand. Then she threw her head back and wailed.

"Owwww! It hurts! Waaah!" Before Howl and Calcifer could recover, her brow lowered and her bottom lip stuck out defiantly. "Stupid dresser. Stupid pan." She muttered fiercely. "Do you really think you can get the best of Sophie Hatter? No one gets the best of Sophie Hatter. Ask Howl!"

She screamed the last word as she pounced on the frying pan. "Aha! Gotcha! Let's see how your dresser friend feels about throwing things at me now!"

Sophie proceeded to pound the dresser with the pan, laughing and cackling once again.

Howl cast a weary look at the shocked fire. "No, Calcifer. This is decidedly _**not**_ normal." He stood and went to rescue his furniture.


	8. Strife and Story Time

**Chapter 8 - Strife and Story Time**

Howl Sophie-proofed the main room, effectively creating a playpen-like barrier. Sophie, oblivious to the fact that her world now ended at the wooden panels of Howl's living room, recounted her daring triumph over the Dreaded Dresser of Evil to a captive audience of buttons, mops, and spiders.

Smoke, bubbles, and odd smells erupted now and again from the fireplace, but Sophie didn't care. She was just getting to the good part about when Howl tried to join the enemy. She shook her head pityingly. "Obviously that was a mistake," she told a few baubles in a conspiratorial tone. "The dresser never stood a chance. Howl sure learned the importance of picking the winning side."

Howl rubbed the back of his head irritably as he and Calcifer tried another concoction. "Why did she have to hit me so hard?" he whined. "I'm her love. Her infatuation. The center of her world! It's not right, I tell you."

Calcifer had no sympathy for the wizard. "You said so yourself, ya dummy. Her emotions are the center of her world now. She'll go wherever those fickle things take her." Calcifer's light dimmed briefly in despair. "I miss Sophie. I haven't had a moment of peace since YOU started this fiasco ... or a piece of bacon either for that matter. Sophie is much more attentive than you are."

"Bacon? You're worried about your nonexistent stomach - your imaginary pangs of hunger - at a time like this?" Howl shook his head in pity. "I always knew your priorities were skewed. I just never realized how low they could make you sink."

"Who put an unnecessary love spell on someone who loved him?" Calcifer cried indignantly. "Who uses fifty times the amount of hot water than a normal human being? Who dyed his hair bright _purple _by accident, not once, but TWICE?"

Howl recoiled in horror at the last insult. The first he could understand. The second was too absurd and ridiculous to even consider. But the third ... to bring up that time of travesty and darkness was low, even for Calcifer.

"How _dare_ you remind me of that horrid time?" Howl hissed, all his careful consideration of potions and spells forgotten. "Why I'll have you know..."

Their infantile squabbling provided the perfect back-drop to Sophie's tales of danger and intrigue. "All right, all right! I'll tell you another one," she said laughingly. She patted the glowing orange ball on its imaginary head as she began her next story. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful creature named Howl who served his even more beautiful Queen Sophie. He was completely and entirely devoted to her. But one day, he forgot his place and had to be taught a lesson ... "

It was this scene full of smoke and blame, with the occasional shout of _purple _or _flame-retardant _or _Her Sublime Majesty Sophie_, upon which a certain young apprentice entered.


	9. You're a Wizard's Apprentice

_A/N: So I realized that I have been dabbling between the two worlds of HMC - movie and book. I realized this when I decided to bring in a particular character: Howl's apprentice. My oh my, what was I to do? Michael or Markl? Teen or kid? Decisions decisions. I decided to use Markl. The name's cooler, and the younger character better fits the direction of my story. So now you have had an extremely long and potentially boring look into the decisions behind the fanfic. Read on._

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**Chapter 9 - You're a Wizard's Apprentice - What Did You Expect? **

Markl's sharp eyes immediately noticed the magical barrier. He stood still in the doorway for a moment, his trained eyes searching through the hazy glow of miscast spells and potions for the source of all the noise.

Master Howl and Calcifer were arguing. Again. Something about Howl's hair? Markl sighed. An argument like that could last for hours ... and Howl's pouting afterward for weeks.

The young boy caught sight of a port in the storm, his beloved friend Sophie. She was sitting on the floor, surrounded by piles of junk. Aha! Maybe Sophie had cleaned Howl's stuff again and _that_ was why everyone was angry.

So many theories. So few answers. Markl sneaked quickly over to Sophie, unobserved by the quarreling duo.

"Sophie!" he whispered from the side of his mouth. "What's going on here?"

Sophie looked up at him with wide eyes and broke into a huge grin. Markl had a moment to wonder why he felt an urgent need to brush his teeth when something strange happened. Sophie ... giggled. It was one of the most unnatural and horrible sounds he had ever heard in his young life.

He backed away in horror.

"Markl!" she cried joyfully, arms outstretched in welcome. "How wonderful of you to join us! You're just in time for ..." she paused dramatically, "The Tale of Queen Sophie's Triumphant Rescue of Howl from the Evil Dragon of Dirt. Have a seat! Have a seat! You can sit next to anyone." She waved a nonchalant hand at the piles of junk.

Markl's stomach twisted when he realized that Sophie had created an audience from Master Howl's possessions. "M-m-maybe next time, Sophie," he stammered. His heart raced when Sophie's eyes narrowed.

"Don't like my friends?" she whispered dangerously. She slowly rose into a crouch, readying for an attack. "Not good enough for you? Or is it my stories? I bet you wouldn't even like the one about Howl's nose!" She picked up the glowing orange ball, hefting it menacingly.

Markl's life flashed before his eyes. It didn't take very long.

Suddenly, rescue! Master Howl leapt between them, holding something between him and Sophie. What was it? A talisman? A magical ward? A bottle of evil-repellent?

The smell hit him first. _Noooo. _Markl thought. _No way. It couldn't be ... _But it was. One of Howl's dirty socks.

"Sophie, my love! Look - a new friend for you!" Howl said, swinging the sock back and forth enticingly.

Sophie squealed in delight. Markl and Howl winced at the horrid sound.

"For me?" she simpered. "Oh Hooowwwl. You are just too thoughtful."

Howl whisked his young apprentice to safety by the fire demon, leaving Sophie content as she introduced the shy new student to the rest of the group.

Markl stared in shock at his two teachers. They sheepishly stared at the ceiling, the floor, the tea collection ... anywhere but at Markl. Spots of red rose on his young cheeks.

"What did you _do_?"


	10. Lessons of Old

_A/N: First of all, thank you to everyone who favorited, alerted, or reviewed my fic thus far. Every single one of them brings a smile to my heart and makes me want to write more! I read them, smile, then run upstairs for my notebook and race back down to the computer before someone else gets it. I am very fast. Again, thanks! Read on._

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**Chapter 10 - Lessons of Old **

"What did you _do_?" Markl asked in outrage. "Whose fault is this?"

Howl and Calcifer answered simultaneously. "It's HIS fault!"

"All right, it's both of your faults," Markl agreed. "Now what happened?"

The two started to argue, blaming each other with every breath. Markl interrupted once again, speaking deliberately. "What. Happened."

His serious tone stopped their bickering.

Howl nervously placed one hand behind his head as he chuckled nervously. "Well, you see, it's kind of hard to explain. What happened was..."

"Howl gave Sophie one of those stupid love potions!" Calcifer interrupted. "She already loved him, but did he try to woo her or even talk to her? Noooo. Too impatient, our Wizard Howl. Instead he creates a love spell and -"

"With your help, you miserable miscreant!" Howl shouted. "Without your flames none of this would have been possible! It's all your fault!"

"My fault?" Calcifer cried in outrage. "I didn't know this would happen, though I tried to warn ya! In fact, I _did _warn ya. But noooo. It's gotta be Howl's way or a bucket of water on my head! You threatened me, so how is any of this my fault? No, take responsibility, _Wizard_ Howl," his voice dripping with sarcasm. "This is your fault, ya purp-"

Markl's incredulous voice interrupted the two again. "You gave Sophie a love spell? Did you forget everything you taught me about those things?" He glared at Howl, who had the decency to look sheepish. "You said they were 'parlor tricks for the fools and failures at love, Young Markl.'" He imitated Howl's tone. Then he switched into a reciting voice as he repeated his lessons of old. "Love spells only manipulate emotions. There is a high probability that they will mutate and affect all emotions. Additionally, when it finally wears off, the victim might hate the imbecile who gave them the potion in the first place."

Howl winced. "Imbecile's kind of a strong term, don't you think?"

Calcifer nodded in agreement. "Fool and failure at love fit you much better."

Howl whirled to face the fire demon. "Why you..." Suddenly he froze. A look of revelation crossing his handsome face. "Markl ... what was that last sentence?"

"The victim might hate the imbecil-"

"No, no, no. Before that!"

Markl looked up, recalling the scrolls he had memorized. "Ummm. Additionally, when it finally wears off, the victim might hate the imbec-"

"Enough with the imbecile! But that's it! Did you hear that, Calcifer? Markl? When the potion finally _wears off_." He savored the feel of those words in his mouth.

Markl and Calcifer looked at each other. "Ooooh." Could it really be that simple?

"Wait a second," the demon protested. "Ya mean I've been wasting energy and magic all day casting unnecessary spells on Sophie? All because you couldn't remember an elementary lesson that even your apprentice remembers?"

Howl waved a dismissing hand at the fire's protests. "Water under the bridge, Calcifer. Water under the bridge."

"I hate water," Calcifer muttered.

Howl ignored him. "The spells we worked on could speed up the recovery process, but so much time has passed that it would be much easier to just wait out the storm! All we have to do is keep her calm, placate her, until the potion wears off. It's so easy!" He sat in the chair with a self-satisfied sigh. "I truly am a genius."

An unearthly shriek made Howl jump up, full of tension once again. "Stop fighting! Stop fighting you two - right now!"

Sophie was yelling at the motionless sock and orange ball. "That's enough! I know I'm beautiful, but I won't take anymore of this! Time-out for both of you!" She grabbed the orange ball and placed it in her pocket. She leaned back on her hands and looked up at the ceiling with a weary sigh. "Beauty can be such a burden."

"How true." Howl whispered wholeheartedly.

His voice grabbed her attention. She spun around and faced the trio. "Howl?" she whined. "I'm hungry."

Howl's heart thumped in his chest. Wow. He hadn't known she could make such a cute puppy face. Unfortunately, pausing in wonder was not the reaction Sophie wanted.

"Didn't you hear me, Howl?" She whined in a sulky tone. "I ... am ... HUNGRY! Feed me!" She picked up a nearby bucket and threw it across the room. It hit the cabinets above the tea collection. "It's tea time!" She yelled as she threw a steady stream of cleaning supplies and clothes. Plates and utensils rained upon the food, spells, and tea leaves, causing a giant mess.

Calcifer rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Howl. No problem. Really easy."


	11. Tea Time

**Chapter 11 - Tea Time **

The three cohorts looked at each other in panic as they dodged Sophie's projectiles.

"Tea time! Tea time! TEA TIME!" she yelled in feverish delight.

Calcifer tried to shrink himself into the smallest chip in the log. "Well, Howl? You said calming her would be easy. So - CALM HER!"

Howl gave a quick efficient nod. He rushed up to Sophie and grabbed her hands in his. He put his face close to hers, his hair flying in the well-practiced waves of beauty. "Sophie," he whispered, while hoping his ploy would work. "Of course it's tea time. Just give us a few minutes to prepare the feast you deserve." Her wide eyes and the slight blush on her cheeks gave him a burst of hope.

_Quickly, _he thought, _I must get her seated while my charm is still working. _He gallantly led her to the table, clearing it with a sweep of magic. "Please, my love. Sit." He bowed slightly and then looked up through his hair. "Markl will be right with you." He swept back to the fire place, leaving Sophie smiling at the table.

Markl looked at his master with wide eyes. "Wow, Master Howl. That was amazing! How you got her to ... Wait a second." He said in horror. "What do you mean _I'll_ be right with her?"

Howl looked at Markl with an insolent grin and raised eyebrows. "Surely you didn't think I would serve tea to her? I have to work on an antidote, just in case. Besides," he said with a wide spread of his hands, "I'm the master."

Markl looked at Calcifer for help.

"Don't look at me!" the fire demon protested. "No hands."

Markl had lived with the two long enough to recognize defeat when it hit him. He shuffled over to the mess of food and tea leaves, his heart beating wildly with fear at the prospect of facing Demon Sophie again.

He efficiently prepared a plate full of scones and muffins. He sniffed in a brief moment of self-pity as he remembered Sophie teaching him etiquette. He grabbed a tea cup and headed over to the shelf full of scattered tea.

"I guess she's getting a bit of everything," he muttered as he swept a handful into the cup. "I sure hope that love spell numbed her taste buds." He shuddered to think of what this Sophie's reaction to bad tea would be like.

He was so distracted by the horrid images swirling through his mind that he did not notice the faint sparkle of something decidedly not tea-like in the cup. A quick pour of hot water and the sparkle was gone, dissolved into the hot mixture.

Markl hummed a soothing tune as he carefully approached the scary Sophie. She sat in her chair, posture perfect and feet crossed daintily at the ankles. A silly smile was pasted on her face. It sent chills down young Markl's spine.

Slowly her head turned. Towards him. His feet stalled as he froze, caught in her gaze. As they stared into each others' eyes, Markl thought he saw a glimpse of something familiar ... of something like the true Sophie. The spell was starting to wear off! It gave him the courage to take another step. _For Sophie_, he thought grimly. He would play his part until this awful spell was lifted.

As Markl battled through sickly sweet smiles and blank stares towards Sophie, Howl busily ran around the fire and the cabinets, grabbing scrolls and ingredients. Since he had told Markl he would be making an antidote, he may as well. Besides, maybe Sophie would remember him hard at work when this whole mess ended. Maybe it would win him a chance ... a chance to make things right.

Howl reached for a vial of frog mucus. He kept it right next to the power enhancer spell and the leftover ... His hand stilled as dread snaked its way into his stomach and tightened its hold. Right next to the leftover love spell.

Where was it? Where was the test tube of sparkling love spell?

His eyes quickly found the tube, tipped over. The seemingly innocent concoction sparkling from the mixture of ... of ... tea leaves. Tea leaves with the imprint of a small hand where it had scooped some of the mixture into a ...

Howl spun in horror in time to see Markl handing Sophie her cup. He didn't even take the time to register that Markl had acted almost as gallantly as he, the Master of Gallantry. It was insignificant to the scene unraveling before his eyes. He reached out a hand towards his lady love in desperation as she lifted the tea cup to her petal pink lips.

"Sophie!" he yelled. "Nooooo!"

Too late. The cup was empty - its contents traveling through her system.

Sophie looked up with a glint in her eye.


	12. Ding Dong!

**Chapter 12 - Ding Dong! **

Howl immediately sprang into action, frantically but carefully mixing powders and stirring ingredients.

"Quickly, Calcifer! We have no time to waste!"

Calcifer crackled irritably in the hearth as he joined Howl in his magical efforts. "What's got you all uptight? She's finally quiet! Your stupid spell is starting to wear off."

Howl grimly looked at Calcifer through the purple smoke rising from a bowl in his hands. "Markl accidentally mixed the prototype love spell and a power enhancer spell into the tea Sophie just drank."

"Pfft," Calcifer tried to hold in a laugh. "With those effects your hair almost looks purple again! It's really not your colo ... Whoa, whoa, whoa! - wait just a minute! What did ya say?"

"Sophie just drank a concentrated version of the love spell. With the combination of the power enhancer, the spell is much more powerful than before. When it mutates again, as it should in approximately..." he calculated in his head, "... one minute and fifteen seconds, any chance of this wearing off without extreme shock or a powerful antidote decreases drastically. Additionally, the spell is no longer tailored to me." He frowned as he crushed some corn into dust, with a little more force than the task warranted. "I have no clue what will happen in the next five minutes."

Hearing Howl - the great _Wizard _Howl - so bluntly admit his ignorance rocked Calcifer to the core. This was serious. Being no novice at magic, he immediately understood the implications. There was no way they could create an antidote in less than two minutes. They would have to work fast and hope nothing triggered an emotional outburst before they finished.

Meanwhile, Markl was blissfully ignorant of the new development in Sophie's condition. He allowed himself to relax for the first time since he walked in the door that afternoon. Sophie had been almost normal during tea time. She had even complimented his fine serving abilities, giggling when she said he was like a mini-Howl. He looked over at Howl and Calcifer, hard at work on the antidote. Honestly, he was surprised that Howl was actually working on it. He thought it had just been an excuse to get him to do the work.

Young Markl walked over to the window that looked out over Port Haven, the current door location. He sighed happily. Then he noticed something that made his day even better. _She _was coming again. Blushing slightly, Markl hurried and gathered the charm her family had ordered for her sea-faring father. They bought a new one every month, and they always sent the youngest daughter, a cute little girl about Markl's age, to pick it up. He looked forward to this day all month.

He bounced on his toes a few times to check his hair in the hall mirror, wishing for the hundredth time that Howl had hung it a little lower. Being Howl's apprentice, he couldn't help but have an appreciation for looking good and had long since stopped wearing the old man disguise when _she _came.

Markl stood at the top of the stairs, a nervous smile on his face and butterflies in his stomach.

Howl and Calcifer concocted and brewed, looking like two denizens of the underworld hard at work creating mischief and mayhem.

Sophie nibbled on a crumpet.

_Ding! Dong!_

"Port Haven door!" Calcifer yelled without thinking. Then he froze, a painful thing for a fire to do. "Port Haven door - " he whispered in horror. They mustn't let an outsider near Sophie! "Pretend we're not home!"

Markl looked back in confusion, forgetting to close the door behind the customer. Young Miss Bekky stepped into the living room.


	13. Heart Full of Love

**Chapter 13 - Heart Full of Love**

"Wow!" Bekky said in wonder. "It's pink and shimmery in here! Just like a dream." She clasped her hands to her chest and looked back at Markl.

Markl turned pink and shimmery, too.

Howl did not normally concern himself with the appearance of his house, but he considered being indignant at this description. There was something decidedly not manly or professional about having your living room compared to a dream by a nine-year old girl. Then her exact words hit him. Pink and shimmery. The prototype love spell was pink and shimmery.

He looked around and sure enough, the room gave off a faint shimmer. It must have coated the room when Sophie was throwing things around. Great. Just what he needed. A whiff of that spell would make anyone feel a bit more emotional, even if they didn't drink it. Emotions were running high enough as it was.

Howl shook his head to clear it of meaningless thoughts. In this form, the spell was mostly harmless. He and Sophie could figure out how best to clean it later - when this whole mess was finished.

Markl shyly grabbed Bekky's hand and took her over to the business table. He quietly explained the changes in the charm, giving her an extra copy of instructions for her record. Bekky was glad of the instructions. She hadn't been listening to him as much as looking at him.

Sophie saw it all. The sight of the two young ones, shy and new at budding love, was almost too much for her. Her heart began to fill with such love. Love for Markl. Love for the cute young girl. Love for their tentative love. Such love must be expressed!

"Ooooh! You two are _too_ cute!" she yelled in joy as she swept them both into a hug. She spun them in a quick circle and then rubbed her cheeks to theirs. "I could just _burst _with love for you both!"

Markl was horrified and terribly embarrassed. "_Sophie..._" he whispered.

Bekky just laughed. Yes, this lady was weird, but her hugs were awesome. Plus, Markl was so cute when he was embarrassed.

"Markl, you look so cute when you're embarrassed!" Sophie exclaimed, which of course made it worse.

A flash of color caught Sophie's eye. She looked at the open door. She dropped Markl and Bekky on the floor.

"Ow!" "Oof!"

Markl rubbed his head, "Geez, Sophie. That hurt!"

Sophie didn't answer. She wasn't even looking at them. She had forgotten they were there. All her senses - all her thoughts - her entire being was focused on the open doorway ... or rather on something _beyond _the doorway.

People. Crowds and crowds of people.

Markl and Bekky's jaws dropped as Sophie transformed in front of them. Her shoulders went up, her smile widened, her eyes filled with tears of joy. She reached towards the doorway with open arms, as if to embrace the world in a hug.

Sophie was so happy! "More people to LOVE!" she cried enthusiastically.

She bolted for the door.


	14. Escape!

**Chapter 14 - Escape!**

"Markl! Stop her!" Howl yelled from the hearth. His hands were trapped by a particularly complicated bit of spell work.

Markl looked at Howl in confusion. He had been confused a lot this day. "But ... M-m-master Howl. The barrier?"

Sophie hit the barrier ... and kept going.

Markl felt his jaw drop again. That had been happening a lot, too. "How did she do that?"

Calcifer shook his head at the naive young apprentice. "Love, ya dummy. It's the most powerful spell of them all - even the type that is started by a love spell."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

Sophie skipped and twirled through the crowd, leaving a trail of befuddled men in her wake.

"So handsome!" she squealed as she fluttered her eyelashes at one man.

"So strong!" she crooned at another young man, holding onto his arm. She smiled when his ears turned bright red. He was trying to stammer a reply when her eyes were captured by another.

"Ooh!" Sophie flitted over to him and grabbed his hands. "How darling! You have captured my heart!" Then she leaned over and kissed him ... right on his wrinkled forehead.

"Eh? What's that?" the old man yelled as he hobbled forward.

But Sophie was gone. There were so many more people for her to love! She took the crowd by storm - a kiss on the cheek here, a coy grin there.

The market was in chaos.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

Markl looked out the door. "She's gone! I don't know which way she went!"

"Calcifer. Markl. Finish the antidote! I'll get Sophie," Howl barked as he finished the spell. He stepped outside the door and stood with his hands on his hips. He glanced around the market, quickly taking stock of the environment. He saw a trail of stunned men leading to the left. "That way!" he shouted. In a flurry of hair, clothes, and panic, he ran after her.

Silence descended upon the castle. Its three sole occupants stared at the doorway.

"Wow."

"Whoa."

"Did ya see that?"

The three began to talk excitedly, all at the same time. "Crazy!" "I can't believe it!" "Never seen anything like it!"

Bekky ran to the window for a better look. "That lady sure was excited, wasn't she?" she asked innocently.

Markl and Calcifer exchanged knowing looks. They hadn't been talking about Sophie. They whispered to each other in short, quiet sentences - as if confirming something they still had trouble believing.

"Brown shoes and a black belt..."

"His coat was missing a button..."

"Same shirt that he wore this morning..."

"Yup. And ... did you see his hair?" A pause. Heavy with significance. "It wasn't brushed was it?"

Markl shook his head solemnly.

Calcifer sighed. "Wow. He really does love her, huh?"


	15. Fear and Adoration

**Chapter 15 - Fear and Adoration **

Howl ran down the road, snatches of conversation guiding him towards Sophie.

"Did ya ever see anything like that girl? Why she..."

"... yeah, the silver-haired beauty. Man, she was a looker ..."

"... disgraceful behavior! Why, when I was a girl, we..."

He reached a crossroads and paused for a moment. A group of young girls giggled on the pathway to the left.

"She sure was handing those kisses out, wasn't she?" A fashionable brunette tittered. "I would have drawn the line at ..."

Left it was. Howl could only shake his head at the chaos left in her wake. Only Sophie.

"... but Honey! I've never seen her before in my life, I swear on my..."

"And den she _kissed_ me, Mommy! Wite on de head!"

As his long strides carried him gallantly over the cobblestone, Howl tried to figure out how he felt about his Sophie making such a splash in the Port Haven world.

Was he embarrassed? No. Not really. It takes a lot to embarrass a wizard. Was he worried? After all, his own experience had shown him what a low tolerance many of the town's men, women, and aunts had for overt displays of love. He shuddered as he remembered the evil glint of an angry aunt's hat pin. Yes. He was slightly worried. Was he jealous, too? ... Maybe ... Just a little. After all, he had thought only Howl on the Prowl could excite these townsfolks so much.

Pushing such thoughts from his mind, Howl turned down an alley where the buzz of noise seemed louder and more agitated.

Sure enough, Sophie was smack in the middle of it.

She stood between two young men, her arms linked through theirs. It was obvious from the uncomfortable looks on their faces that she held them captive through their own politeness alone. Howl shook his head in disgust. He had never had much time for polite people. Too often it was a form of lying that didn't get you anything in return. Now where was the point in a profitless lie?

Sophie chattered away, oblivious to the obvious hints the men were trying to send. "You said you had to visit your sisters at Cesari's, right? I go there _all_ the time. I bet we'll run into each other lots and lots now!" She felt twin shudders pass through the men. "Oh! I didn't realize how scared you two were. It is a long way to Cesari's, isn't it? Well don't worry, boys! I'll escort you!" She giggled. Everyone within hearing winced. "It will be just like this one time when the Wizard H..."

Howl smoothly inserted himself into the conversation. "Why here you are, my dear. I've been looking everywhere for you." He surveyed the crowd around them nonchalantly. They stared back with morbid fascination at the brave but foolish soul who willingly approached the crazy love lady.

"Howl!" Sophie cried in delight, abandoning her death grip on the young men to throw herself into Howl's arms. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Howl couldn't help but feel a bit of arrogant pride over Sophie's reaction. Even in her be-spelled state, she still recognized his obvious superiority to these peasants.

A small smirk edged his lips as he shot a triumphant look over Sophie's head at ... empty space.

"Oh, Howl! They got away!" Sophie was distressed, wringing her hands and looking this way and that. "I do hope they'll be all right ... they were so scared."

Howl rubbed her back, offering empty assurances. "Don't worry, Sophie. It's still daylight and there are plenty of guards around should they require help." Inside, however, he was secretly a bit put-out that she spared such plain men a thought when _he _was near her.

"You're right, of course, Howl." Sophie said as she looked at him with sparkling eyes of adoration. Oh, how Howl loved this look. He could feast on the affection shining from her for all the ages. This look captured his heart anew and reassured him that she was faithfully his. No woman could show such pure love to any but her beloved. No, it was a look of true love. A look that ...

Sophie's eyes wandered, snapping the life-line to Howl's heart. "Oh! Who is this handsome fellow?" She skipped out the alley and to the center of the market square. She kneeled down and stared intently - lovingly - at a common pigeon.

"Who's a cutie? Who's the cutest cutey in the whole wide world? You are! You are!" Sophie crooned. Howl could barely believe it, but there was no mistake. She was shining that beautiful, adoring look of hers on a common, dirty, disgusting, noisy, ugly, everyday pigeon.

Howl hated pigeons.

"Howl! Look at this fellow. He reminds me of you!"

It was this stunning blow to his ego that pushed Howl over the edge. Drained of energy and incentive, Howl sank to the ground in despair.


	16. Blue, Green, and Yellow

_A/N: Funny thing about life - it happens. Sorry it has taken so long to update. This is seriously the first break I've had in awhile. I hope you enjoy this!_

* * *

**Chapter 16 - Blue, Green, and Yellow**

It was the odd, heaving sounds that first captured his attention. He had been feasting his eyes on his reflection in a puddle of water, noting the fine line of his profile and the kingliness of his gaze, when a loud "Why, oh why, oh why?" interrupted him.

Fixing his gaze on the crumpled pile of colors next to him, he avidly watched it tremble and move for a few minutes. It did not seem to present any danger to him, so he quickly lost interest and returned his mind to a much more important topic - himself. Ah, the colors. The gleam in his eye. The sharpness of his mouth. The smooth, royal head. He really was perfect.

_Ah, how do I love me? _he silently wondered. _Let me count the ways. _

He quietly cooed compliments to himself. He had only reached forty-six when a yell of "Life isn't fair!" and a blast of power rolled over him. He jumped into the air, landing back down with his whole body pointed towards that annoying pile. Was it jealous? Was it trying to attack him? Thirty seconds later, he decided that the odd creature was defective. And honestly, it was too ugly to even imagine it could compare to him. Common, dirty, disgusting, noisy, ugly, everyday creature.

He decided to start his list over and had reached forty-nine when the worst happened ... his reflection began to waver and then grow green. Green was so not his color. Horrified, he escaped. But his curiosity overcame him, and he perched in a nearby tree to watch events unfold.

He saw the noisy creature - no longer colorful, but instead an odd, pulsating glob of green. He saw a blue creature twirling in circles, playing with Cooper and Cootney. The blue creature noticed the green one, and started to wade through the disgusting filth to reach it. The green blob looked up in hope when one of those raging boxes came barreling around the corner, distracting the blue one. A yellow creature leaped out, lightly floating to the ground. Gallantly extending one of its awkward appendages, it grasped the limb of the blue one and drew it from the filth. The blue made a horrid giggling noise. The unholy noise sent chills down his spine. The blue and the yellow creature left in the noisy box, leaving a sorrowful green blob behind.

He would have stayed to watch the rest of the story, but frankly, he had better things to do. He could hear the soft flap of a female's finery and decided it was time to bless her life. With a seductive coo, he unfurled his wings and flew after her.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

Howl viewed the world through a green film of sorrow.

He was in shock. Sophie had left him. The center of her universe was wallowing in misery - in PUBLIC, no less - and she decides that it is time for a field trip with the Prince of Foppery.

"Why oh why is life so unfair?" he wailed to the heavens.

Howl's contemplation of the deep issues of life was interrupted by a pigeon taking flight from a nearby tree. As he watched it meet and woo a female pigeon, Howl felt the conflicting emotions of jealousy, comradeship, and deep sorrow.

"Fare thee well, my flying friend," he cried. "Fare thee well. May your lady love treat you better than mine has treated me."

* * *

_A/N: So for those who have not seen the movie, here is a key: blue blob = Sophie. green blob = slimy Howl. yellow blob = Prince Justin._

_Yes, this chapter starts from a different character than orignially supposed. _


	17. Strike a Pose

**Chapter 17 - Strike a Pose**

"It looks like your true love is in love with someone else."

Howl opened his eyes and leaned his head back to see the former Witch of the Waste looming over him, arms crossed and foot tapping. He sighed in resignation. Of course this would happen. The first time he sees his former flame since she ran away after the return of his heart and end of the war, and he is wallowing in green goo. The complexity of their relationship - having been lovers, rivals, enemies, and even a weird grandmother/youngster dynamic - demanded he salvage his dignity.

Howl muttered under his breath and then snapped his fingers. The effects were instantaneous: the green goo disappeared, Howl was clean and sporting a new suit of clothes, and even the former witch's dress had a new but subtle pattern of hearts woven into it.

The old woman slowly raised her eyebrows. "A neat trick, that. Why is it none of us have ever seen this trick? Especially Sophie. Who cleans up the mess. Every. Single. Time."

"Have you ever watched Sophie when she's cleaning and grumbling about the Goo of Despair?" A dreamy look floated over Howl's face, causing a nearby woman to faint in awe. "Her fine brows furrow. Her lips form an alluring pout. Her cheeks flush. And that glare of pure malice? Ah! It's enough to make me want to go into despair every week!" The dreamy look faded from Howl's face as his thoughts turned to a more practical arena. "Besides, she needs a challenge every now and then. She would be miserable without something to scrub. And a miserable Sophie is a miserable moving castle."

"Speaking of a challenge..." the old woman pointed a finger at the spot where the carriage with Prince Justin and Sophie had disappeared. "They're gone."

"But they went in the opposite direction from the palace," Howl said, as he struck the pose he secretly called _Deep in Thought_. Three women swooned. "If they aren't going to the palace, where are they going? The lower part of town is like a labyrinth! They could be anywhere." His _Beautifully Tragic _pose claimed five more victims.

The old woman tapped a finger against her nose, striking what she secretly called her _Cunning Pose_. A man fainted in horror. "Oh, we will find them, my dear Howl. My powers may have been stolen from me by that dratted Suliman, but I still have quite a few tricks up my sleeves."

Howl looked dubiously at her rather unfashionable sleeves. With a wiggle of his fingers, a few more stitched hearts appeared, artistically decorating the edges.

"Stop that!" she admonished, shaking her arms. "Not _literally _in my sleeves. Let's just say I have a few self-sustaining spells floating around, waiting for me to use them. Come now, my strapping young Howl. They are this way."

Striking what both called their _Devastatingly Elegant _pose, the two walked into the maze of roads together, searching for Sophie and leaving a small crowd of unconscious victims in their wake.


	18. Such is the Power of BOB

**Chapter 18 -Such is the Power of BOB**

"Boomerang Charm."

"Not classy enough."

"Bounce Back."

"Not self-sustaining."

"Time Loop?"

"Too much magic."

"... it wasn't one of those cheap charms from Stalkers-R-Us, was it?"

"Yes."

"Rea-?"

"No! I may not have my powers, but I still have my pride!"

Howl shook his head. "But if it wasn't any of those, then what was it? What type of self-sustaining spell allows an ex-magical being to utilize it after so many years?"

The wince that crossed the former witch's face at the term _ex-magical being _escaped Howl's notice, but her subdued tone as she led them around the next corner did not. "Left here."

She had changed a lot since her powers had been taken by Suliman, but even Howl could tell that there was something more affecting her. Howl invaded her space, intently peering into her beady eyes. "What's wrong?"

_Drat him, _the old woman thought, feeling like a young woman trapped in this tomb of a shell. _Why does he have to be so darn pretty?_ "Nothing's wrong, you insolent pup! I'm just fed up with your guessing, that's all. We need to cut across the square, real quick." As they dodged the jostling crowds, she sighed and rubbed her aching back. "All right, I shall give you a hint. What is something you are very fond of?"

Howl's face brightened. "Sophie!"

She rolled her eyes. "Something not living."

"Clothes!"

"Something that can come in many shapes and sizes."

"... clothes!"

She grabbed her hair in frustration. "Oh, this is getting us nowhere. Tokens, you idiot! Tokens and meaningless little trinkets! Remember how fond of them you are?"

Howl laughed in derision. "Tokens? Why would I ever keep tokens from anyone?"

The sly woman gave him a knowing look and deliberately lifted her pinky finger and waved it around. "Emily?" she prompted.

"That nail was very uniquely painted," he mumbled. "Anyways, what do those have to do with anything?"

"Well, I am very clever, as you know. So when I was a poor, misguided, young fool - in other words, when I was dating you - I had this silly idea that I always wanted to be with you. Which meant I needed to know where you were. Which meant I gave you a token that would tell me the whereabouts of its holder."

"You don't _own_ Stalkers-R-Us, by any chance, do you?"

"Y-No! Of course not," she blustered, slightly tripping over a cobblestone. "Anyways, you must have given her the tracker. Because no sooner do I find you, wallowing in filth, then I sense the tracker moving."

Howl conveniently ignored the comment about filth, pretending to be deep in thought. _A token from the witch? What was it?_

He thought long.

He thought hard.

He was so deep in thought he actually ignored his reflection in store windows three times.

And then, he had it. Flashbacks to recent events filled his head. _Him gathering objects in his strong arms. His manicured hands delicately placing the objects in front of Sophie. Sophie rolling one of the objects on the ground. Her patting it on the head. Her hefting it menacingly, about to smash it into Markl's terrified face. Sophie sliding into her pocket the ... _

"The orange ball," Howl gasped. "That was from _you_? And I gave it to _Sophie_?"

"You sure know how to flatter a girl, Howl," the former witch said wryly. "You actually forgot? But you promised to carry it everywhere."

"I never promised, of that you can be sure."

"I may be old, but I have a great memory," she admonished. "You very clearly said, '_Whatever you say, dear.'_"

"Which is decidedly _not _a promise," Howl countered.

A passerby stopped and faced her lover. "Hey - what did you mean when you said, '_Whatever you say?_' Was that a promise?"

Smirking at the stranger's stuttering confusion, the old woman guided them into a new part of town. This one was crowded with merchants of the finer things, such as glass and jewelry and fabrics.

"Whatever, Howl. I've known you too long to even be surprised by the justifications you use to slither out of things. It probably worked to your benefit. The coward spells you placed over that abomination of a castle masked the tracker, but if you had stepped outside with it even once, I would have found your castle doorways in a second. Such is the power of BOB."

"BOB?"

"Big Orange Ball."

"Ah. Of course."

They walked for a few moments in silence. Howl used this time to think.

He thought big.

He thought small.

He thought so much he actually passed by a mirror this time.

Finally he spoke. "I can understand why you originally followed, uh, BOB today. After all, I'm pretty hard to get over. It is the price all unfortunate women except Sophie must pay. But what I don't understand is why you are helping me now."

When Howl didn't immediately receive an answer, he looked over at his companion only to find that the former beauty had stopped walking. Curious, Howl walked closer to her. She was standing in the middle of the road, wearing that blue dress ... Howl frowned and then tailored the collar into a more fashionable design ... and holding her hands clasped to her heart. A dreamy look crossed her face. Three men screamed and fainted. Howl just stared, torn between horror and fascination. She almost looked ... pretty.

Shaking his head free of such dark thoughts, Howl brought matters back to the task at hand. "If we don't move soon, all these women will fall in love with me. Let's go before a riot breaks out."

The old woman just sighed softly. "For Justin."

Howl was officially confused. "What?"

"You asked me why I am helping you right now. I'm not helping you. Not after what I witnessed in the square. I am looking for Justin. And when I find him, I need you to tear that grasping, man-stealing Sophie away from His Royal Innocence. He would never realize her true intentions."

"Justin?" Howl scoffed in disbelief. "That pompous, arrogant, foo-"

The former Witch of the Waste's glare stopped his tirade mid-adjective.

"... -uuuull of love, sweet, handsome...ly dressed, happy guy?" he finished meekly.

"That's the one!" the smitten woman sighed.

"But he is over a thousand years younger than you."

She gasped in indignation. "I am barely over a hundred and you know it, Howl Jenkins Pendragon! Besides, true love knows no age limits. Ten years, a hundred years, even a thousand years - what's the difference to the passions of two hearts? The ten or so years between you and Sophie don't seem to matter to you at all."

"Yes, but I don't look as old as you." Howl stated bluntly.

That bluntness almost cost him his pretty face _and _his chance at finding Sophie. Luckily for him, they came upon Prince Justin and Sophie at that exact moment. Unluckily for Howl and the former witch, the two were exiting a jewelry store, and the Prince had a foolish grin on his face.


	19. Crushers of Budding Love

_Recap - Sophie has been given a love spell. It has mutated. She now loves everyone and suffers mood swings. She escaped the castle, and Howl followed. Just as he catches up to her, Prince Justin sweeps her away in a carriage. The former Witch of the Waste, in love with Justin, decides to rescue him from the heart-stealing Sophie. She and Howl follow them, using an orange tracking ball in Sophie's pocket to find them. Read on. _

* * *

**Chapter 19 - Crushers of Budding Love**

In the space of a few moments, Howl and the former witch rode the exact same train of thoughts.

Sophie and Justin were walking out of a jewelry store.

Jewelry stores sold rings.

Rings symbolized marriage.

Marriage made people in love happy.

Sophie and Justin looked _very _happy.

Howl and the old woman looked at each other in growing horror.

"We need a plan," the old woman said with a steely glint in her eyes.

"Agreed. Huddle," Howl ordered.

The two put their heads together, and Howl created a magical barrier to block all sound.

"Marriage is an unacceptable outcome," Howl began. "If he marries her, how am _I _supposed to? I could always kill him, I suppose..." The old woman speared him with a fierce glare. "... buuuttt I'd rather not. We need to stop him from proposing."

"Or we can stop Sophie from saying yes. You don't know my prince as well as I do. We've actually become friends since the war ended. Once he sets his mind to something, it is very hard to sway him." A wonderful thought suddenly occurred to her. "I also know Sophie. She may like Justin as a friend, but she will never say yes! We're saved!"

Howl's shame-faced and dejected look cut her merriment short. "Howl ... what did you do?"

He wondered how many times he would have to admit his mistake in the future. Making such a dreadful error in judgment was embarrassing enough in the first place. But having to tell multiple people - over and over again - was like rubbing salt in a wound. The fates seemed determined to drag him to the lowest depths of humility. He sighed and assumed a monotonous, professional tone. "Sophie may have ingested a love potion."

The woman gaped. Howl continued talking, in the hopes of cutting off the inevitable flood of censure to follow. "I know, I know. It was cowardly and irresponsible of me. I should have determined to woo her, instead of giving into despair and tricking her. Love spells do not create true love, only a cheap imitation. And believe me, I am paying for it. The spell has mutated and now Sophie loves everyone and suffers huge mood swings." He held his face in his hands and shuddered. "It's been horrible."

She decided to discretely burn the love potion she had made for Justin the next time she passed a fire. She cleared her throat and glowered at the hapless Howl. "Well then. I'm glad you learned your lesson. But that doesn't help us here. What you are basically saying is that if Justin proposes, Sophie will say yes."

Howl nodded miserably.

Squaring her shoulders, she clapped her hands. "Right then. Divide and conquer seems to work in most cases. We will just have to convince them that they are horrible for each other. I'm weak against Justin and you're weak against Sophie, so we'll switch. Separate them and convince them that they'll be miserable in matrimony!"

A small dim ray of hope kindled in Howl's countenance. _I will fight for Sophie ... by lying about her to the idiot prince! _He smiled. These were tactics he could use.

The old woman's face seemed to grow younger as her determination grew. _I will save Justin from Sophie ... even if I have to drag his name through the mud to do so! _

The compatriots' gazes met. They nodded once, the grim nod of soldiers heading into battle. "We'll crush their budding love like a new blossom under a boot. Are you with me, Howl?" A wrinkled hand extended between them. A perfectly manicured one gently covered it. "I'm with you, old one."

"Break!" they yelled in unison. Then they ran towards the unsuspecting loves of their lives.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

Sophie gazed into Justin's eyes lovingly, showering the same love and attention that she had shown Howl ... and the pigeon ... and Markl ... and Bekky ... and numerous townsfolk that day.

Prince Justin - blissfully unaware of the pigeon, Markl, Bekky, and the numerous townsfolk - soaked the attention into his heart and returned it tenfold. He had a good heart, one that was ready to be loved and love in return. It couldn't help but be affected by the attentions of the fair Sophie. No one had ever looked at him this way before. An image of clear blue eyes surrounded by wrinkly skin flashed into his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Sophie's alluring brown eyes demanded all his attention.

The bonds of infatuation connecting them were snapped by the interruption of two miscreants, bent on the destruction of budding love. Blonde hair and blue eyes filled Justin's view. Time-worn features and blue eyes filled Sophie's.

Justin was irritated.

Sophie was delighted.

"Giselle!" she yelled happily. "It's so good to see you!"

The former witch teared up despite her resolve. "You ... you remembered my true name," she said in wonder. Her posture straightened, as if reminded of the youth associated with a name she had long abandoned.

"Of course, silly!" Sophie said with a wide grin. "It's a beautiful name." For a moment, the old woman dared to believe Howl had been lying about the love spell. But when Sophie tried to kiss a passing merchant, she realized that something was not quite right with the hot-tempered but level-headed Sophie she knew.

Her resolve renewed, the old woman grabbed Sophie's elbow and dragged the unresisting young woman down the street, away from the prying ears of Howl and Justin. "This way, my dear. Time for a heart-to-heart talk."

Following her example, Howl put a brotherly arm around Prince Justin's shoulders, making the royal man very uncomfortable. "This way, my prince!" Howl said in a falsely jovial tone. "I have come to rescue you from making the worst mistake of your life."

* * *

_A/N: The former witch never had a name - so I gave her one! _


	20. Kill the Beast

_A/N: These next two chapters go hand in hand. They are a little more serious than previous chapters (sort of), but that's because I feel it is important to the development of the characters. Read on. _

_Warning: You may have noticed that I am re-inventing the character of the witch. Why? Because I feel like it. She's such a cute and creepy old woman at the end of the movie. I felt potential. _

* * *

**Chapter 20 - Kill the Beast**

Beneath the shade of potted plants, Sophie and the former Witch of the Waste sat in companionable silence on a marketplace bench. They were now afforded a great view of the bustling town life.

Sophie waved cheerfully to Prince Justin and Howl across the square, ignorant of the topic of their discussion. Prince Justin waved tentatively back, looking at Howl uncertainly. Howl shook his head and began talking, gaining Justin's undivided attention. The old woman could only guess what horrible tales Howl was telling him. Judging by the incredulous expression on Prince Justin's handsome face, they were pretty scary stories.

Reminded of her purpose, the old woman cast a sly glance at her fair companion. _Where to begin? _She allowed the silence to stretch for a moment, still stunned that Sophie had remembered the name she had secretly shared with her all that time ago. Giselle's mind conjured memories of a time when it was the only name she knew, before the allure of evil magic consumed her. Those had been happy times. Full of discovery, wonder, and joy at the new world she was exploring.

Regret filled her, made all the more keen when coupled with her old age. She had already abandoned the trappings of mortality and the name 'Giselle' by the time she met Howl. _How different things might have been._ Nostalgia washed over her, wave after wave numbing her heart and dulling her senses.

Soft sobbing dragged her back to the present time. Sophie had buried her head in her hands, shining tears dying the material of her dress a deeper blue.

Giselle, confused, tentatively rubbed the sobbing maid's back. "Why are you crying, my dear? What's wrong?"

Sophie looked into the concerned eyes, once so dark and now so light. "I ... I was just remem-embering what it was like to be under that old woman spell. Remember how awful you were? Well you must feel twice that bad now because _you're _old. And your back probably aches, and your f-f-feet are probably sore." She compassionately threw her arms around the former witch, unable to see the mixed expressions on her weathered face. Regaining her composure, she held Giselle at arm's length and looked her deep in the eyes. "You mustn't hate yourself for what you did to me. I for-forgive you!"

The former witch hardly knew how to respond. Should she be offended? Grateful? Terrified out of her mind? She settled for the neutral, "That's nice, dear."

Sophie was so grateful for such a lovely response that she could only hold tightly onto her friend's hand and express her feelings through an intense, tearful gaze.

Deciding this was as good a time as any to change the subject, Giselle subtly began _Plan Sabotage the Prince. _

"Prince Justin will ruin your life."

_Done. _

Sophie laughed. "Silly Giselle! Always joking." She looked across the market at the prince with a soft smile. "Justin is incapable of ruining anyone's life. His heart is too good."

Giselle felt her own face soften as she thought about her love. "That's true," she whispered. "He is wonderful."

Sophie, intrigued by the change in tone, looked at her companion. She was surprised to find that Giselle looked fresher ... younger ... as she contemplated the prince. Sophie was about to remark on the amazing abilities of love when Giselle realized that she was sabotaging her own plan.

"...wonderful-ly awful for you, I mean!" she hastily amended. "Sure he's a wonderful man - kind and gentle. Sure he accepts everyone, no matter their past or burdens. Yes, he is handsome and strong of character, the perfect man to one day rule this kingdom. Buuuttt ..." she assumed the spooky witch voice she used on annoying children, "if you marry him he will transform into a beast and make your life _miserable_."

Sophie's eyes widened. "A ... beast?"

The former witch nodded solemnly. "I know what I'm talking about. Until the wedding, he'll be handsome and perfect as can be. But as soon as you've uttered your vows of matrimony ... SNAP!" Sophie jumped. "The trap springs shut. He'll transform, turning into a creature that ... that ... that will always smell like turnips!" Sophie's nose wrinkled in disgust. "And will hate hats!" The young girl gasped in disbelief. "And will create messes with no regard for cleanliness or hygiene!"

It was almost too much for poor Sophie. She weakly grasped Giselle's hand, seeking support. Giselle gently squeezed her hand back.

"You shouldn't have to go through all that, Sophie."

Sophie shook her head solemnly. "No one should."

_Mission accomplished_, Giselle thought grimly.

"In fact," Sophie continued, "It's our duty to ensure that no one ever suffers such a cruel fate."

Sophie wrenched her hand out of the stunned woman's and began pacing furiously. "Imagine the nerve of him! Planning to trap some unfortunate soul with honeyed words and good looks, only to transform after marriage!" Sophie puffed her cheeks out in frustration. "Not while I live."

Her brown eyes pierced Giselle's as she suddenly remembered her savior and ally. "Now while _we _live, I mean, Giselle." She grabbed Giselle's hand and commenced to dragging her across the square towards the evil monster in princely disguise. "He'll wreak havoc on this village if we let him wander free. So it's time to take some action now. It's time to follow me. Let's kill the bea-"

The former witch dug in her heels, bringing Sophie to a stop. "Wait, Sophie! Not a _real _monster! I meant figuratively! Metaphorically! Anecdotally!" She flung herself in front of Sophie, arms outstretched. "I won't let you do this, Sophie!"

Sophie spun in a circle, a smile of triumph gracing her lips. "Aha! I knew it! You care for him."

"Don't look at me. I don't love him. I don't know what you're talking about!" A delicate pink shaded Giselle's cheeks and her hair darkened, contradicting her words.

Sophie cocked an eyebrow.

"Fine, fine, fine. So I find him ... So he's exactly ... Hmph. I love him, all right? Happy now?"

Sophie's brows furrowed together, and Giselle found herself agreeing with Howl. It really was an endearing expression. "But, what about the beast transformation? Aren't you worried about that?"

The former witch shook her head. "No. Even if it were true, I would still love him. Turnip smell and all. But it will never happen. He would never propose to me."

Giselle found herself being dragged across the square yet again.

"We'll just see about that," Sophie muttered.


	21. Truth Revealed

_A/N: Thanks to Tek Sonay for her lovely advice and editing! Read on. _

* * *

**Chapter 21 - Truth Revealed**

"Worst mistake of my life, Howl? What would that be?" Prince Justin asked as the wizard gracefully led them to a bench in the marketplace.

The two men didn't just sit on the bench. They blessed the bench with their presence. Hair floating in the wind, light gleaming from their eyes, clothes hugging their muscular physiques ... one bench could barely handle so much perfection.

The town's men could barely control their maidens.

Howl helped them by erecting a three-foot barrier against women around the bench, adding an extra layer of spell to prevent any love-crazed women from breaking it. Normally he enjoyed the deserved attention, but today he had a mission.

Time to commence Plan Sabotage Sophie.

"Sophie Hatter will ruin your life."

Done.

Justin laughed. "Sophie couldn't ruin anyone's life if she tried! She's sweet and beautiful and passionate and ..."

Across the square, Sophie waved to the men. Unsure if she was waving to him or to Howl, Justin waved tentatively back.

"... And she'll turn your life upside-down if you give her the chance," Howl interrupted, capturing the prince's attention anew. "If you like your life the way it is now, stay away from her while you still can."

A town woman bounced off the barrier, startling Justin. Howl ignored the commotion and leaned back on the bench, contemplating his lady love. "She has this strange way about her. She's obstinate and loud and so pushy. She'll drive you crazy by sewing up the holes in your clothes even when she knows you can use magic!" Howl caressed a corner of his shirt, smiling fondly.

Three woman charged the barrier at once in attempt to break it. They flew into the arms of three lucky men.

Remembering his rant, Howl continued on determinedly. "She ignores all your hard work, saying you're handsome without beauty products. She kills your pets, even if they were just sitting in a corner, minding their own business. She _never_ lets you get the last word. And your ego?" A short bark of laughter escaped his lips. "Ha! Choose one. Sophie or your pride."

"That's not the Sophie I know," Justin said with a frown.

Howl looked at him with a serious expression. "Then you don't know the _real_ Sophie." He scooted uncomfortably close to Justin. "I do. And I love her."

Justin looked at Howl in wonder. "You have a little bit of dirt ... right there," he said as he pointed to Howl's cheek.

Howl didn't even flinch. He just kept staring at the prince, as if trying to communicate the depth of his love for Sophie through the intensity of his gaze.

"You really do love her, don't you?"

"With all my heart."

"... wow."

Silence settled over them as each retreated into his own thoughts. They stared at the two women on the bench across from them, now crying and hugging.

Justin thought about Howl's newfound ability to love. Justin had mentally known that having a heart would change the wizard, but seeing that change was something else entirely. He thought about how the return of his physical heart was only part of Howl's transformation ... Sophie had worked her magic on that man from the moment she had met him. Through her persistence, obstinacy, and genuine care, she had somehow found the chink in Howl's armor of materialism and superficiality.

... just like a dark-haired woman had found the chink in his prince's armor

... once upon a time.

Justin sighed a heartfelt sigh. No matter how much he pretended, he knew that the love shared between Howl and Sophie was too strong for even his royal titles to overcome. Besides, he had unfairly been using Sophie as a distraction from the loss of that dark-haired woman.

Howl thought about how he could get the dirt off his face without looking stupid.

Suddenly, Justin sat up in shock. Howl reacted violently to the prince's movement, using it as an opportunity to jerk his hand across his face and remove the offending piece of dirt.

"What is it, Prince? Are Howl-starved women breaking through my barrier?"

Justin's gaze was fixed on the bench across the square. "Who is that young woman with Sophie? The one with the dark hair?"

Howl briefly looked across the square at the two women: one pacing, the other worried. He leaned back, bored.

"That? Why it's the former Witch of the Waste. You know, Giselle?"

"But ... but ... how is that possible? I know Giselle, but I also know this woman." Justin lowered his voice. "I was in love with her."

"Remember Suliman? The old woman who supposedly took away the powers of magical creatures?" Howl said. "Well, you can never fully take away someone's powers. There is always a spark. So clever Suliman sometimes used a machine to turn their most recently cast curse back on themselves. Give them something to worry about besides revenge. The last curse Giselle cast was the old woman spell on Sophie."

The prince's world turned upside-down as he processed this new information, connecting what he knew about Sophie's curse with events in the past years.

His elderly friend was the same beautiful young woman who had sometimes visited the Royal Gardens since the war ended. The woman he had thought was lost to him forever.

A new woman appeared in his mind. One that had the physical characteristics of the stranger and the personality of Giselle. His heart thumped painfully.

"Why didn't she say anything?" Justin murmured.

Howl laughed. "Irony. After all, she added the part of the spell that doesn't let the victim talk about it."

A commotion across the square caught their attention. Sophie was determinedly marching across the market with a reluctant Giselle in tow. People, dogs, carts, small children ... none of them were granted mercy if they dared impede her progress.

She was on a mission.

Justin stood in breathless anticipation, his gaze captured by the wide blue eyes of Giselle.

Howl stood in anxious excitement. Excited to be with Sophie again. Anxious about the hidden agenda behind her steely brown eyes.

Shouts and yells sounded from the edge of the square. A runaway carriage was barreling down the road ... right towards Sophie and Giselle.

Sophie didn't flinch. She started running towards the two men. Giselle didn't flinch either. She was too busy trying to keep up with Sophie.

The two women emerged from the havoc and the dust, locking eyes with their respective loves as they escaped the path of the carriage ...

... only to run straight into Howl's new and improved anti-women barrier.

Following the laws of physics and magic, the two women bounced off the barrier, flying in different directions.

Sophie flew to the top of a potted plant.

Giselle landed in the path of the raging carriage.

The prince and the former witch had only a moment. One last moment to lock eyes before the flashing brown and gold of the royal carriage cruelly and abruptly severed that bond.


	22. Love's Goodbye

**Chapter 22 - Love's Goodbye**

"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!" a little figure hopped out of the cart, frantically waving his hat in the air. "Is she ok? It isn't my fault. I didn't mean it! Something spooked the horses. Oh my goodness! Oh my good...ness..." His voice died away as he reached the tragic scene.

Justin was crouched protectively over the broken body of his love.

"Giselle ..." he murmured in shock. "It was you. It was you all along... How could I have been so blind?"

Her eyes opened, bright blue eyes shining with love through the pain. The same blue eyes that had enchanted him for years now held love for him. "Justin ... I wanted to tell you, but I ... I couldn't," she coughed weakly. "Stupid spell. I was an ... an idiot."

"Shhh. Shhh. Don't talk like that. You'll be ok. You'll be ..." his voice cracked, "just f-fine."

Sophie jumped down from the plant and knelt beside the former witch, placing her hands over her ribs. "Mend together. Come together bones. Mend!"

Justin looked up at Howl with questioning eyes.

Howl, who was keeping the crowd at bay, looked back at him. "Sophie can be very bossy. Add that with a bit of magic, and you never know what can happen." He looked down at Giselle and winced in pity. "But she's pretty hurt. Magic can only do so much."

Justin gingerly picked up Giselle's hand, caressing it. "Come on, Giselle. Be strong. Fight."

"Just-Justin?" her voice was a quiet croak.

"Yes, Giselle?"

"I didn't always love you, but I always saw your light," she paused to take a few rattling breaths. "At first it repu-repulsed me..."

"Don't talk, Giselle. Just breathe. You can tell me tomorrow," Justin pleaded.

The former witch weakly shook her head. "No. Now ... before ..." she closed her eyes.

"Open your eyes!" Sophie demanded. "Right now!"

Giselle took a deep breath and then opened her eyes. "At first," she resumed, "your goodness burned me, scared me. But then ... it changed me. Until I couldn't imagine life without it. The girl, the dog, the guard ... so many people. You helped so many people. Your heart is so good."

Gathering the reserves of her strength, Giselle tightened her grip on his hand and looked him in the eyes. "Thank you, my love, for helping me regain my heart. I love ..."

It was too much. Her eyes rolled back as the last of her breath escaped her lips.

Justin looked at her in shock. Sophie removed her hands and shook her head.

Giselle was gone.

And Justin couldn't accept it.

"No. No, no, no! Giselle! Wake up!"

An elderly man shook his head at the sight of his sovereign publicly grieving. "It's not right I tell you. It's not right."

His daughter gently hushed him. "Quiet, Father. It is a good thing for our prince to care so deeply. It will only help our kingdom. Now let him mourn."

"Please, Giselle," Justin begged pitifully. "Wake up. We'll walk through the garden again. I'll pick the purple violets for you and weave them through your hair. We'll talk about the past year and laugh at the silliness. Just please ... please wake up."

He leaned close to her face and whispered, "I love you, too." Then he gently kissed her on the lips.

"Good-bye," he whispered.

Absolute silence descended over the crowd.

"I am so sorry," the little driver whispered. "So very sorry."

Prince Justin bowed his head. He allowed one tear to escape, barely expressing the depth of pain he was feeling. He had to be strong. He had to wait. He would mourn her in their garden.

But for now, he would let this one tear be shed for her.

It fell on her head, anointing her for the journey through death.

Prince Justin squeezed her hand one last time. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and then stood, turning his back on the body that had housed his love.

The tears he was holding back warped the scene around him, making everything look distorted and shiny. The air shimmered around him as the prince tried to be strong.

"Mommy?" A little girl in front of him tugged on a woman's sleeve. "Why is the hurt lady shining?"

Justin spun around, hope clogging his throat.


	23. Magic's Touch

**Chapter 23 - Magic's Touch**

Giselle floated in the air, light cradling her body.

The whisper of _Magic ... Magic ..._ rippled through the crowd and to those beyond the village. People stood transfixed by the sight above them, rainbow light dyeing their upturned faces.

Only Justin, Sophie, and Howl dared stand close to the floating woman.

Sophie jumped up and down in glee. "So pretty!"

Howl watched with a slight smile. _So royalty's tears can be powerful magic. I owe Calcifer a month's supply of bacon ... if I tell him._

Justin stared in shock. He wanted to hope, but he could barely believe his eyes. Was this real?

"... Giselle?" he asked tentatively.

As if it had been waiting for the sound of his voice, the magical light intensified and then shot forth from Giselle, rolling over the surrounding area like a wave.

"Uh-oh," said Howl, knowing the power of this kind of magic. "This should be interesting."

The magic wrought its unpredictable changes wherever it pleased.

Howl's anti-woman barrier popped.

Carpets took to the air and flew out of the fabric stores.

Every plant burst into a glorious bloom of red roses and purple violets.

A crowd of people flooded out of the household appliances store shouting, "Free at last! Free at last!"

The carriage's horses and driver turned back into mice.

A dog returned to his human form and immediately proposed to his blushing owner.

A couple transformed into ogres, grabbed hands, and skipped happily to the nearest swamp.

Sophie blinked.

The magic complete, Giselle's body slowly fell to the ground. Justin rushed forward and gently caught her in his arms. His smile radiated relief and love as he watched the blue eyes he loved best in the world open to reveal her renewed soul.

"Oh, Giselle," he whispered. "I'm so happy."

"Well I'm not," Giselle said bluntly, shocking the prince. "I was just run over by a carriage."

Then a mischievous smile transformed her young face. "But because of that, I've been given a fresh start. A chance to start a new life. So I guess you could say I'm more than happy. I'm elated! I'm overjoyed! I'm buoyant! I'm ... with you."

For just a moment, the world disappeared until only they remained. They held each other and savored the feeling of true love discovered.

The world, refusing to be ignored for long, interrupted them.

The nearest people cheered for their sovereign and his love, crowding close to congratulate the couple. Men slapped Justin on the back and shook his hands. Women gushed over Giselle's long dark locks, beautiful dress, and good fortune.

The people on the outskirts of the crowd would have joined the well-wishers, but they were too distracted by the chaotic market to say anything.

Fabric owners chased their escaping wares, using nets and hooks to recapture the flying carpets. Women screamed and jumped on benches to escape the terrified mice scurrying around the square. A former kettle loudly argued with his former owner, saying to reclaim them would be tantamount to slavery.

Much as Howl loved watching all the fun, he knew from experience that eventually someone would be called on to fix things ... and that someone would probably be him if they didn't slither out of here fast.

He picked a purple violet, changed the color to Sophie's favorite shade of blue, and then slipped it into her hands.

"For you," he said debonairly. Before she could respond, he continued to speak. "We need to get the lovey-dovey couple out of here before the crowd flattens them." _And before they ask me to clean up this mess, _he thought.

He briefly outlined the plan while he scanned the mass for points of entry. Sophie took a breath as if to say something, but then she caught sight of Justin and Giselle, looking longingly at one another through the crowd. She let the breath out slowly, saying nothing.

Howl turned to face her. "Understand?"

Sophie narrowed her eyes, but nodded her understanding. Howl sensed something was off, but everything had been off since that blasted cup of tea, so he ignored the feeling.

"All right then. Grab my hand. Start walking."

They float-walked their way above the heads of the crowd until they were directly over Giselle and Justin.

"Giselle! Justin! Up here!" Howl yelled.

Giselle groaned. "More floating?"

"Don't whine, woman," Howl said dryly. "Just give me your hand. Justin, grab Sophie's hand!"

As soon as they connected, Howl's weightlessness spell embraced them and plucked them from the crowd. Seeing that Justin and Giselle wanted to hold hands, Sophie nodded her consent and let go of Howl's hand as soon as possible.

Dodging carpets, birds, and hooks, the four companions walked through the air to the Porthaven entrance of the castle.

Giselle and Justin chattered so much about the sights and each other that no one noticed how unnaturally quiet Sophie was the whole trip. Along the way, she deliberately dropped the blue violet, watching passively as it was crushed by the churning mass below.


	24. Weird, Weird, Weird

**Chapter 24 - Weird, Weird, Weird**

Justin, Giselle, and Sophie fell.

"Hooowwwlll!" Giselle yelled indignantly.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my!" Justin whimpered.

Sophie glared.

Howl swooped down and grabbed Giselle's hand, re-establishing the floating spell for them all.

"Finally!" Howl said with a dramatic flip of his hair. "I said your name seven times, Your Royal Obtuseness. But you were lost in that temptress' eyes and completely ignored me. I had to resort to drastic measures."

"But did you have to drop all of us?" Giselle cried.

"Of course. It was the only way to get Justin's attention. I don't understand why you're so upset," Howl said. The witch's jaw dropped, expressing her incredulity at the existence of such a thick head. Howl ignored her and turned his gaze to the prince. "Now, where should we drop you off?"

Giselle rolled her eyes and looked to Sophie for commiseration and support. Instead, she saw something that made her experience a feeling for Howl that she had never felt before ... pity.

The former witch looked back to the front, trying to ignore the emotional waves of heat and cold radiating from the figure behind her.

"Anywhere is fine," Justin answered Howl, blissfully unaware of the turmoil behind him. "I can summon a carriage. So just take us to your street. We'll make it from there."

"All right," Howl said as he sped a little faster. He still hated the royal's castle, so this plan worked for him.

They arrived at the street, bustling in that charming way that small towns do.

Howl's feet touched the ground lightly. He struck his best pose at the final moment, eliciting a round of giggles and blushes from all quarters.

Justin's feet landed next, falling into the perfect ballet position. Friendly hellos and welcomes sounded from his loving subjects, but business continued on much as usual. Royalty and wizards were no new thing to this street.

Then Giselle alighted. She struck her Devastatingly Elegant pose, getting the same reaction as the first time she had used it ... but for much different reasons. Howl counted the number of fainted men, frowning jealously. She had topped his "overwhelmed by beauty" record by two. He fingered his hair, contemplating new colors.

The final pair of shoes gently clicked on the cobblestone. The market went silent. As if sensing a storm, pets ran and hid. Muttering about evil premonitions, the elderly quickly locked up shop and retreated into their houses. The rest of the people followed suit, slamming shutters and locking their doors. Within a minute, the market was dead.

"Well that was weird," Justin said.

Howl's brows lowered as he contemplated the change in environment. "Hmmm. It sure was. Let's play it safe and go inside, too. I'll figure out what's going on from there."

Justin started to nod his agreement when Giselle interrupted him. "No need! We wouldn't dream of imposing on your hospitality for one second more! Certainly not. Just let me grab a couple things from your place, and we'll be out of your hair in no time!" She bustled into the castle, the door slamming shut behind her.

"Aaand that was weird, too," Justin remarked.

Giselle bustled back out, carrying a small bag full of trinkets under one arm and Markl under the other. "We're taking Markl to dinner with us, Howl! Hope you don't mind. You're such a dear."

Markl tried to struggle away from her grip. "Hey lady! I don't know who you are, but you let me go, you hear? I know magic so you don't want to mess with me. Let. Me. GO!"

The former witch leaned down and whispered in Markl's ear. "Stop struggling, brat! Stop struggling and listen."

At the sound of the urgency in her voice, the young boy paused for a moment. He crossed his arms as best he could in his awkward position. "I'm listening."

"Good. Now you REALLY want to come to dinner with me and the prince." She shook him as he started to interrupt. "Yes, you do. And if you want to know why, just take a look at Sophie. You aren't old enough to be as oblivious as most men."

It only took once glance. "I'm going with them, Howl!" he said as he slipped out of Giselle's arm.

"If that's what you want," Howl said with a shrug. A little time with royalty would help Markl in the future.

Markl cast one last fearful look at Sophie. Then he nodded emphatically. "It is!"

"Good. It's decided," Giselle said. She grabbed the hands of Markl and Justin. "Thanks for your help, Howl! Bye!"

"Hold on just a second! Wait, wait, wait!" Justin said, using his weight to stop the procession. "I have to distribute what Sophie and I got at the jewelry store! We'll go right after, I promise."

Giselle reluctantly let go of his hand.

Justin skipped back to Sophie, gently placing a jewelry box in her hands. In a voice only he and she could hear, he whispered, "Go easy on him, ok?"

Sophie looked up sharply, all the pain and anger she felt apparent in her brown eyes.

The wise prince smiled sympathetically. "I know. But he really does love you. And you really love him. No matter how angry you are, don't forget that."

The fight seemed to drain out of Sophie, leaving only pain and hurt.

The prince gently patted her hand, and then turned back to the group with an overly happy expression painted on his face. "As for you, my fair lady ..."

He flitted over to Giselle. He shared an intimate smile with her as he handed her another box. "Seems I couldn't get you out of my heart even when I tried my hardest. I was thinking of you when I bought this ..."

Giselle opened the box and then gasped. Nestled on blue velvet was an intricate necklace of flowers and pure silver.

Giselle looked at him through the tears of joy in her eyes. "Purple violets ... just like we used to weave in the garden. Thank you."

Justin blushed. Then he grabbed Markl and Giselle and started trotting to the next street.

"Bye Sophie! Good luck, Howl!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Howl tilted his head in confusion as he watched them disappear around the corner. "Good luck? What a weird thing to say."


	25. Collapse

**Chapter 25 - Collapse  
**

_Squee. Squeak._

The sound of a swinging shutter punctuated the eerie feel of the town. Howl, magically sensitive to the moods of his environment, shivered.

"Hmm. Something is very wrong here, Sophie," he said, only to realize he was talking to empty air. The sound of the slamming castle door startled him, and he whirled around to face it.

"Stupid love spell," he muttered as he walked to the door.

"_Bewaarrreee._.." a creepy voice intoned, stopping the wizard in his tracks. It sounded like drowning hyenas fighting their way through a bucket of phlegm.

"Who's there?"

"_Bewaarrreee ... I have a word of warning for theeee_ ..."

Howl used magic and vision to scan his surroundings. He focused on an aura of prophetic warning partially hidden behind the corner of a building. A figure, shrouded in darkness, peered around the edge and watched him intently. Its eyes gleamed.

"What is this warning?" Howl asked in the ancient voice of a dangerous wizard.

_"I have been sent to warn thee of thy doom. With some caution and wisdom thou may yet avoid it ... buuuuttt,_" the creature chuckled evilly, "_I sincerely doubt that you will._"

Less words were better with these characters, Howl knew, so he just repeated his original question. "What is this warning?"

It drew a wheezing breath, then cleared its throat in preparation. A cloud of noxious smoke billowed from its corner. "_Some saaaay the world will end in fiiiire, some say in ice. Hear the words of the frosty prophet. Thy doom will take the form ooooof ..._"

"Oh no! Sophie!" Calcifer's horrified cry abruptly cut the creature off mid-word.

Perturbed, the dark figure glared at the castle. Interrupting a minion of darkness mid-prophecy was extremely bad taste, in its opinion.

"_Where was I? Oh yes. Thy doooooommm. It will be in the form oof_ ..." Again, it stopped mid-word, but not due to any sudden yells. Its audience was conspicuously absent. The castle door slammed, affirming its total isolation in the road.

It crossed its smoky limbs with a miffed hmph.

"_Wizzaaards these days_ ..."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

Howl rushed up the stairs, all thoughts of impending doom, dark creatures, and the state of his hair flying from his mind.

Only thoughts of Sophie could overshadow his selfishness.

The sight of his love collapsed over a sink of dirty dishes stopped him for just one second. Then his concern galvanized him into action. With fiery energy, he rushed to her side.

He slipped his arm around her waist, ducking his head under her arm.

"Calcifer - what happened?" Howl asked as he slowly maneuvered to the cubby room under the stairs.

"Sophie! Sophie! Can ya hear me? Sophie!"

"Calcifer. Snap out of it!"

The fire demon calmed down enough to update Howl, though he continued to glance anxiously at the unconscious woman. "Aw, youse know Sophie. She's exhausted, mad, confused ... she should have gone to bed, but what does she do? She cleans. Crazy woman."

"It must have been too much for her," Howl mused as he tucked the comforter around her. He took the sponge out of her hands and threw it towards the kitchen. "Sophie has super-human strength and endurance, but the emotional tax from the love spell and resulting events would have exhausted a mammoth in half the time."

"A what?" Calcifer asked.

Howl just shook his head, not bothering to describe the creature. His mind was already bent on remembering the best remedies for magical fatigue. Wizard training often involved experimentation, meaning the after-effects of a spell gone wrong were as familiar to Howl as his own profile.

Sophie, cradled in the arms of blissful unconsciousness, dreamed of spiders and soap as Howl started the task of rejuvenating his poorly used love.


	26. Dear Me

**Chapter 26 - Dear Me**

_Day 3_

_Dear Me,_

_Another day dawns. Sophie continues to sleep, though more peacefully than before._

_Howl, however, has only grabbed handfuls of rest here and there. He gave her the final dosage of medicine today ... Don't worry. No magical meddling this time. Just a normal infusion of medicinal herbs used to cure exhaustion. _

_Keep telling him she's going to be fine, but he worries constantly. He finally fell asleep, thank the Spark. His nagging and mumbling got on my nerves. He collapsed on the edge of her bed, cradling her hand. If it wasn't so sweet looking, I'd be rolling with laughter. He looks like a 5 year old. _

_One thing's for sure, he'll never try nothing like this again. As you know, he destroyed the last of the love spell on day 1. Stunk up the house, of course. Told him to get rid of it outside, but does he EVER listen to me? No. Course not._

_Can't wait for Sophie to wake up! It'll be so good to have things back to normal ... or as normal as they get around here, anywa -_

The words blurred and then faded as a damp cloth dissolved them. Calcifer pouted and stared at the spot where he wrote his thoughts in the ash.

_"_Howl! I wasn't done with my entry yet!" Calcifer complained. He looked up. _Not Howl. _"Sophie! When did you wake up?"

"Just now." She raised her arms above her head, stretching. "I feel so rested."

Calcifer was a little suspicious of her calm behavior. Maybe she had partial amnesia ... "So, Sophie. Do you remember anything ... odd? Anything at all?"

Sophie crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Odd?" She leaned in closer to the fire, placing both hands on the hearth. "I remember _everything,_ Calcifer. Every. Single. Embarrassing. Horrifying. Detail. From the moment I drank that blasted tea."

The fire grew smaller as he took refuge deeper in the log. "Oh? Everything?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she nodded sinisterly. "Everything." She fixed a fierce glare on the sleeping Howl.

She smiled.

Calcifer shuddered.

_Dear Me, _he thought. _I think Howl is in trouble. _

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

Howl had odd dreams. While many people reported highly visual dreams, his always involved smells - a side effect of a spell gone wrong in years past.

This time he was in a house, everything around him coated in shades of black and white. The smell of smoke wormed its way through his body, thick and choking. The house must be on fire!

"Sophie!" _I have to get her out quickly! _"Sophie!"

"Howl," her voice called back to him, though in a much calmer tone. "Howwlll?"

He searched frantically, getting tangled in a dark curtain. The smell of burning almost overwhelmed him.

"No! Nooo!"

Howl fell off his chair, dragging the bed sheets with him. He sat up groggily, blinking as he looked at his surroundings.

_Color, _he thought. _I must be awake. _

Sophie stepped into his view.

"Sophie!" he exclaimed happily. "You're awake!"

"That's right, Howl! And I made breakfast. Why don't you come have some?"

Eat? He wanted to pick her up, twirl her around, and dance through the house with joy. Sophie was back! But she had made this meal just for him, and never let it be said that Howl refused a meal made by his love! There would be plenty of time for dancing later.

"Sophie?" he said tentatively as he sat on the stool. He wanted to see what she remembered and ... he sighed internally ... to apologize. He hated apologizing.

"Food's ready!" she said in a high, happy tone. She put food on the plate and then walked towards him.

"Thank you!" he said sincerely. "It looks wonder-" She slid the plate in front of him. It was heaped with piles of food. All burnt to a crisp. " - ful. Full. I'm full."

The smile on Sophie's face suddenly turned dark, striking fear into his heart. "Of course you're not full," she said. "You are hungry. You will eat every bite. You will love it. After all, isn't this how you like things? Overdone?"

Howl looked at her. He looked at the food. He looked at her. He looked at the food.

Sophie smirked. "Would you like me to get some _tea _to go with it, _my dear?_"

Howl picked up his fork. "Um ... no. That's all right." He put the food in his mouth and swallowed. It was like eating ash. Sophie watched his reaction, her sharp eyes not missing a thing. "Mmmmmm," Howl said, smiling through his grimace. "Good."

The cook smugly headed back to the fire. "I'll get you another plate."


	27. Dark Bonds

**Chapter 27 - Dark Bonds  
**

_Graww__r awr awr ... glug_

Howl held his stomach gingerly, comforting it. "I'm sorry, my friend. I'm so sorry. I had no choice."

Groaning, he lowered himself into the comfortable chair.

Calcifer looked at him admiringly. "Four plates ... wow. I thought for sure youse was a goner at two."

Howl sighed wearily. "It is my fate, Calcifer. I am a man. And must take my punishment as a man would."

Calcifer narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What's with all this _man_ talk? Youse said wizards was different than men. That wizards wasn't bound by archaic and primeval bonds of society and honor. That it was all a load of rubbish to blind an individual to the chains wrapped round them by others."

_Rawrawrawr_

"Ugh!" Howl doubled up, holding his stomach again. "Just be quiet, you infernal fire. If I don't submit to her little punishments, she might run away. Even if her anger is the only thing that binds us right now, it's a bond. I'll hold on to whatever connects us, by whatever means necessary ... until things are right again."

"You think eating burnt food's the way to earn her trust again?" the fire-demon rolled in a circle. "Sure ya didn't hit your head when you fell off the bed?"

A look of intense pain and discomfort suddenly distorted the man's handsome features.

"It's coming!" Howl yelled.

He jumped up and ran to the bathroom.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

An hour later, Howl walked downstairs feeling drained, but oddly refreshed.

He paused at the top of the stairs, listening for sounds of danger. Not hearing the sharpening of knives, muttering of spells, or inane chattering of aunts, he deemed it safe and gingerly proceeded down the steps.

Sophie had pulled a rocking chair close to Calcifer. Needle and thread deftly danced through the mound of fabric on her lap, interrupted occasionally by the pretentious snip of scissors.

Avoiding eye contact, Howl approached the fireplace. Sophie's fingers slowed for a moment before picking up their fast pace with twice as much vigor. The nervous man rubbed his hands together and then took a deep breath. So chilly was the atmosphere that he imagined he saw his breath cloud the air.

"Sophie ... I'm sorry."

Her only answer was to lay aside the needle and pick up the scissors.

"The spell turned horribly wrong, Sophie. I never meant for things to go the way they did."

_Shnip. Click. _

"... And I am sorry for all the embarrassment my mistake put you through. I'm sorry."

The scissors clipped faster.

"Won't you say something? Anything?"

Tortured, Howl turned to look at Sophie.

A statue stared back, measuring him. After a moment, she looked down at her work, all signs of emotion carefully controlled.

"The sink is leaking," she said quietly.

"I'll fix it." Glad to be able to _do_ something, Howl ran to the sink and quickly fixed it with magic.

Unsure of what to do next, he glanced back at Sophie. She was staring blankly ahead of her, the scissors mindlessly clicking.

"You haven't cleaned the supply closet in months," she intoned monotonously.

"Consider it cleaned!" he went to the closet and set a couple of sorting spells to work. It was done in no time.

"There's also the small matter of the cracked floor boards, low supplies, and dirty exterior of the castle." Again, her tone would not have disturbed the surface of the most placid lake.

"AH!" a yell sounded from outside. "Soap suds? Stars take it! I just bought this coat, too."

"Oops," Howl muttered. A quick flick of his finger dried up any collateral damage. "It will take a few minutes ... but I fixed those, too." He looked to Calcifer for support, but the demon had gathered some wisdom in his many eons. He raised his eyebrows noncommittally and retreated further into the recesses of a particularly fine log.

The wizard tapped his fingers nervously on his leg. "Sophie ..." he said hesitantly. "I know I'm not always the most, well, thoughtful or conscientious person. I can see that now. I'm sorry I've left all these things to you for so long. I can set up some self-sustaining spells or pitch in more often from now on ..." His voice trailed off.

The scissors clicked.

_Those darn scissors. I should never have bought the magically enhanced pair. Prettier, but so much noisier. _

At first he was merely unsettled by their sound. But then he took a closer look at the fabrics they were methodically destroying. They looked familiar. _Very _familiar. In fact, it looked almost exactly like the suit he had bought last week. Except that suit was on the cutting edge of fashion, a masterpiece in every sense of the word ... and this fabric in Sophie's hands was merely a mound of ever shrinking pieces, ruined by the bright gleam of ruthlessly efficient scissors.

Howl mentally retreated to a safe place.

_Ten, nine, eight, seven ..._ _in through the nose ... __six, five, four ... out through the mouth ... three, two, one._

Howl furrowed his brow, concentrating all powers of positive thought into a continuous stream. _When I open my eyes, I will NOT see my prized and one-of-a-kind outfit being brutally murdered by an angry woman. It will NOT be in over a thousand pieces. It will be whole, perfect, and beautiful ... and so will my relationship with Sophie. _

As he exhaled all the negative thoughts away, he opened his eyes expectantly.

_Hmmm_.

He closed them again.

A peek through his right eye convinced him that Positive Thought was busy elsewhere. Fine. Then he would take a different tact. Denial seemed a good choice. He was probably just jumping to conclusions - surely this was not his suit.

"Sophie," he said in an overly patient manner. "What are you cutting there?"

She looked down at the scraps, the first hint of life coloring her features. "Oh this?" she held up a large piece and slowly cut it in half. "I'm fixing your new suit."

Howl's hand started twitching, but he hid the motion by running it through his hair. "Fixing?" he took a deep breath to lower his tone. "You call that fixing?"

Sophie looked at him from hooded eyes. "Why, of course, Howl. I learned from you. If you want to make something better, you should cut it into pieces first." She paused, the moment heavy with significance. "Right, Howl?"

Their eyes locked. Howl looked away first.

The wizard slowly sank to the ground. He leaned his head back against the hearth with a weary sigh. "Sophie. I apologized. I'll tell you I'm sorry in as many ways and as many times as you want! I fixed everything you mentioned. Give me a list of every detail that you don't like in this house and I'll change them til you are happy. I'll do anything. Just tell me how to make it up to you. How can I fix _us_?"

A mirthless laugh escaped her lips. "Fix us?" she looked at the scraps in her lap. She laughed again. "_Fix_?"

The wizard eyed her warily as she stood, laughing and gathering all the scraps. She looked at the pile in her arms. "I wonder ... can you even fix this?"

She threw the cloth in the air. Thousands of pieces floated throughout the room.

From the safety of the log, Calcifer held his breath. He recognized this moment as a test. _Come on, Howl. This is your chance._

Howl snapped into motion before the first scraps settled on the floor. With a carefully pronounced phrase, he froze all cloth in their current positions. Then he stood, pulled out a talisman, and swung it around the room three times. All the pieces gathered into a central location. There they slowly fused together, returning to their previous form.

Less than five minutes passed from Sophie's challenge to the successful completion of Howl's work.

A gleaming suit slowly rotated between them. It looked exactly the same as before, with one small exception. The wizard used Sophie's additional thread to weave a heart onto the chest.

"I can fix the suit, Sophie," Howl said seriously. "I will always want to fix the things important to me. And Sophie ..." he caught her gaze for the second time that day, "... our relationship is much more important than any clothes."

This time, Sophie looked away first.

"Not everything can be fixed with magic," she said.

She walked to a room upstairs and shut the door.


	28. Silver Hope

_A/N: Thanks to_ irishwerewolf _for reminding me how long it's been since my last update and to _Fahiru _for the multiple reviews that put this story back on my radar. Read on. _

* * *

**Chapter 28 - Silver Hope**

"You IDIOT!" Calcifer yelled.

At a loss, Howl replayed the last few moments in his mind - seeing the floating scraps, the fixed suit, his declaration, and then Sophie's rejection again and again. _I meant it. I really meant it, _he thought. _So why did she leave? Did I seem insincere? Is she saying it is too late? _He looked to Calcifer for answers. "I don't know what else I could have done. I was even romantic!"

"Being romantic is pointless when you MISS THE POINT!"

"But the heart trick ... It's guaranteed success by Ursula's _Love Sick_, best seller in four dimensions."

"The heart was a nice touch," Calcifer admitted. "But magic! What possessed you to use magic at a time like _that_?"

"Why would you say that?" Howl asked. "You're a magical being!"

"Well Sophie's not! When she threw those scraps in the air, she wasn't testing your wizardly-ness. She wasn't thinking, _I want Howl to prove how good he is at magic! Cause I was wondering, what with the whole love-spell thing _..." The demon rolled his eyes in disgust. "Ya big idiot."

"But I'm a wizard. And I panicked. And when I panic, I use magic. Cause I'm a wi-zard," Howl slowed the last two syllables for emphasis. "What's wrong with that?"

"I could spell it out for ya ..." the fire demon deliberated, but then he shook side to side solemnly. "No. This is tween you and Sophie. If this relationship's gonna survive, you two need to learn the art of communication."

"It's not an art, it's a minefield," Howl mumbled.

The fire flared. "You know I'm right."

"At least_ I_ was trying," Howl said, exasperation coloring his tone. "All she's done is poison me and murder my clothes and, and ... glare. Why isn't she trying, too?"

Calcifer narrowed his eyes. "She's still here, isn't she? After everything, I'd call that trying."

"But she won't tell me what I can _do _to fix things."

"That's exactly your problem! Do, do, do! Fix, fix, fix!"

Howl grabbed his hair and pulled at it in frustration. "It's like you two are speaking a different language! I don't get it."

"Oh ho! This is rich!" the fire cackled. "Thousand year old spells? Translated! Trans-dimensional messages? Deciphered! But a petite, silver-haired, former hat-maker opens her mouth ... and Howl doesn't get it."

Howl simply sighed. But it was a sigh from the heart ... and Calcifer still felt a bit attached to that heart.

"Fine. You're so pathetic that I'll give you a tip. For now, every time you want to magically fix a problem she mentions, wrinkle your nose."

"Why?" Howl looked confused. "To remind her how attractive she finds my nose?"

"No!" Calcifer said, exasperated. "To remind _you _to stop whatever idiotic fix-my-relationship scheme's going through your head."

The demon settled back and watched the thoughts chase themselves around Howl's face. Howl's left eyebrow twitched down.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Calcifer asked.

"No!" Howl said. "Let's say I take your advice. I walk up to Sophie ... and then what? Stare at her? Of course I don't get it!"

The fire crackled in contemplation. _If I leave him to his own devices, he may chase Sophie off for good. _The thought of no Sophie made the fire feel cold. "All right. I'll help you."

Hope kindled in the wizard's eyes. "Do you mean ... ?"

The fire burned brighter. "Yes. I'll teach you the spell of listening."

Howl smiled. "Now _that_, I can understand."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

Clank. Clank. Clank-Clank.

_Threat?_ _Left. Right. Where threat? Down. Up. There! Threat? _The bird cocked its head, regarding the pacing figure. The female-no-wings abruptly stopped walking and slumped on the metal railing with a giant sigh. _No threat. _

Curious, the bird flew closer and perched just out of reach. It cocked its head again, singing a tentative welcome song.

"Aaaaaaggghhh!" The bird fluttered its wings in alarm at the female-no-wings' bellow of welcome, but quickly settled back down again. It trilled in laughter. _You funny, you. _

Female-no-wings responded in her incomprehensible tongue. "Sorry, little bird. You ask why I yell?"

_Weird sounds make, you._ It cocked its head to the other side.

"Ha! Even birds listen better than him!" the female-no-wings said to the air. She looked at the bird. "I yell because of that depraved WIZARD downstairs. I yell because that moron tried to steal my heart with magic! I yell because I want to HATE HIM!"

With the last words, she reared back her arm as if to throw something off the side of the castle.

The bird started trilling in excitement. _Shiny! Shiny object have you!_ It hopped up and down. _Shiny! Let see? Let see? _

"You and Justin are right," the female-no-wings garbled, letting her arm fall to her side. "Throwing it away wouldn't solve anything."

The bird hopped closer, hoping to see the shiny box better. It had seen them in shop windows and lovers' hands, but never had it been so close. It stopped when the female-no-wings started squawking again.

"You're sweet. Are you trying to comfort me?" she sniffed and wiped the welling tears out of her eyes. "No need." She straightened her shoulders. "I'm s-strong."

The bird's heart pounded even faster when the female-no-wings opened the shiny.

She turned to the bird with a sigh. "This place is too magical. Only at the moving castle would a sparrow show up right now."

Female-no-wings pulled a silver earring out of the shiny. It was in the shape of a sparrow.

"Sparrows, the symbol of hope and resurrection," she said with a small smile.

_Silver bird. Never fly. Always trapped. _Horrified, the sparrow flew away, trilling in alarm.

Now alone, Sophie gazed at the earring and then shut it back in the box. "Thank you, little sparrow!" she yelled to the retreating figure.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

Shoulders squared, Sophie descended the stairs. The sound of high-pitched voices, however, gave her pause. She sat down and leaned her head against the railing, peering at the scene below.

"Let's practice again," Sophie heard Howl say. "I'm not confident enough yet."

"Fine," Calcifer cleared his throat and began speaking in a falsetto tone. "_Oh Hooowwwl! This dress is so ugly!_ ... no. Nose! Nose! Good. Ahem. _It doesn't look good on me_." Calcifer's voice shifted to a stage whisper. "That's your hint at the real issue. So what do you say now?'

Howl crossed his arms. "Depends. What color is the dress?'

The fire demon's flames began to grow. "Howl Jenkins Pendragon ..."

"Wrinkling, wrinkling. Oh! I get it! ... but Sophie, you're beautiful!"

The wizard said it with such conviction that both the listening Sophie and the acting fire were touched.

"Why Howl. I don't know what to say," Calcifer simpered.

"Say you'll let me change your dress. It really is hideous."

A weary smile crossed Sophie's face at the antics of the two friends. She opened the box to look at the silver earring one last time. Snapping it shut, she slowly stood ... and chucked it at Howl's head.

"OW! What was that for?" the man froze when their eyes met.

"Getting relationship advice from a fire demon?" Sophie looked down her nose at him. "The word _desperate _comes to mind."

Howl rubbed his head sheepishly and then winced in pain. "Right."

The two people stared at one another, trying to figure out what to say next.

Sophie opened her mouth and drew in a breath, causing Howl to eagerly lean forward. Then she exhaled through her nose and bit her bottom lip.

Calcifer looked at Howl encouragingly.

Howl opened his mouth and drew in a breath, causing Sophie to cautiously lean forward. Then he wrinkled his nose and shut his mouth.

_Wow. Even his nose is attractive. _Sophie shook her head to get rid of any distracting thoughts. _Focus, Sophie._

They waited.

And stared.

And waited.

Calcifer cracked first.

"All this tension's ruining my appetite," he complained. "Go somewhere and talk it out already!"

Howl looked at Sophie and raised an eyebrow. "Just what I was about to suggest. My lady?"

Sophie nodded stiffly. "I was just about to suggest it first, actually. Shall we go to our place? The flowers?"

"Of course," Howl replied. "I was just about to suggest it first."

Sophie swallowed a smile and walked to the door. After changing the destination, Howl opened the door and gallantly bowed Sophie through first. "After you."

Sophie sauntered through the door and haughtily called over her shoulder, "Of course - pearls before swine, you know."

Howl stalked after her, furiously scrunching his nose.

Left alone, Calcifer rolled his eyes. "Great Spark help them. They're perfect for each other."


	29. The Talk

**Chapter 29 - The Talk**

A soft breeze blew across the field, caressing the flowers with loving care. The flowers arched their stems gracefully, leaning into the wind's gentle touch. The sun smiled down on all, forgiving faults and illuminating beauty. On this day, in this field, all of nature was in harmony.

Then the humans came.

They walked stiffly, dominating the landscape with their upright shape and jerky movements - movements that barreled through nature instead of dancing with it. These two were not even in harmony with one another. The space between them seemed tangible, as if invisible thorns prevented them from natural and comfortable touch.

The wind sighed. The flowers turned their faces from the tragic sight. The sun smiled on indiscriminately.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Sophie paused and picked a flower. She intently examined its anatomy, as if the flower might offer her the answers and solace she sought. Clearly it did not, for the eyes she directed at Howl glowed with a contained fire.

"Why, Howl?"

"You mean, why did I use a love spell on you?" Clarification was important to a healthy conversation, he had learned.

Sophie nodded jerkily.

Howl sighed shortly and looked around the field, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I'm not really sure. And any answer I can think of to that question just seems so ... " He looked at Sophie, her hair shining in the sunlight and the pain shining from her eyes. "... silly."

"Yes, silly is a good word. So is dumb. Idiotic. Twisted. Imbecilic."

"Oh come on, now. Imbecilic's a little harsh, don't you th-" he paused at the look in her eyes and then looked away. "Yeah. Maybe it was."

For a moment, only the breeze's passage could be heard.

"So what now?" Howl finally asked. "I apologized already, but I want to make it up to you. How can I?"

"The real question is: how can _I_?" she closed her mouth abruptly. She took a short breath and then resolutely asked, "How can I ever trust you again?"

Howl started to reply, but then his brow furrowed and he stopped mid-word. He wrinkled his nose. Furrowed his brow again.

Finally he replied, "What do you mean?"

"Great," Sophie murmured under her breath as she cast her eyes heavenwards. She threw her hands up at a loss. "I don't know how else to say that, Howl."

She started pacing circles through the grass. "How can I trust you again? When you secretly gave me that love spell, you broke something. In our relationship. In my -" she took another breath. "In my heart ... " She shrugged, unable to continue without losing her composure.

She looked at Howl to see how he was reacting. He looked devastated.

_But he still doesn't understand, _she thought sadly. _He's like a child who got caught pulling the wings off a butterfly. He senses he did something wrong, but doesn't know what._

"So you are saying I need to fix your trust in me," Howl said slowly. His gaze shifted out of focus, as he descended into deep thought. "I might have a spell for that."

Sophie exclaimed in disgust.

"... with your permission, of course!" he added hastily.

"Ugh, Howl! No!" she plopped to the ground. Resting her head on her hand, she said, "Just ... no. This is the problem. Magic, magic, magic!"

"Right, Sophie. _Maa-gic._" Howl sounded frustrated. "Why is it bothering you? You've always known that I am a wizard - magic is part of the deal. It is a part of me. A part of you, even. We wouldn't be here _or _together without it, so it's a part of _us._"

As he spoke, he fashioned the air into a flower, which twisted and glowed a light blue. "But I understand more than you think. I shouldn't have used magic to take away your choice or freedom. I won't do that again," he said softly, handing her the completed bloom.

The smile Sophie directed at the magical flower was soft but sad. "It is beautiful, Howl. But ..." she reached into the grasses next to her and plucked a lily. She held it next to the magical bloom. "We're basically in a flower garden. And these are just as beautiful."

She extended her free hand, palm facing the sky. "Help me up, Howl."

He gently grabbed her hand and pulled her into a standing position.

He didn't let go of her hand.

Sophie faced him squarely and looked at him seriously. "I understand that you are a wizard. I accept and love that part of you. But, Howl. I don't always need a wizard. Sometimes I just need you to be a man. I just need you to be you. Instead of always turning to magic for the answers, couldn't you - just once - turn to us?"

Instead of answering, Howl took the two flowers - magical and natural - from Sophie's hand. Without a word, he leaned forward and twined them into her hair. After tucking a final strand into place, the man reclaimed both of Sophie's hands for his own.

"_Us_," he finally said. "I think that's what I was afraid of losing."

Sophie cocked her head, "So you used magic?"

Howl nodded. "Yes. And when I realized that it might have cost me the very thing I was trying to save ... well, the love spell didn't hurt just you."

"I forgive you - I do. But the question still remains: how can I ever trust you again?"

Howl took a deep breath, knowing how much depended on this moment.

"I'm not sure you can," he replied seriously. "Not right away. Though I understand the guiding principles of the the world and its magic, you baffle me. And sometimes my attempts to understand you backfire. So until you can trust me again, trust two things. Please trust my love - that it is pure and guides my actions. And Sophie? Trust us. Trust who we are together."

Sophie pulled a hand up to wipe her right eye, dragging Howl's entwined hand along.

She sniffed and then lifted her head in a dignified manner. "Sorry - the pollen."

Howl quickly pulled their entwined hands to his face. Then he gently kissed the back of her hand. "Yeah. Me, too."

"But this doesn't mean you're off the hook, mister," Sophie cautioned in a stern tone, eliciting a wide-eyed nod from Howl. "My heart still aches."

"You know ..." Howl said with a nonchalant air as he took a step closer, "I have a spell for aching hearts."

"Oh do you?" Sophie skeptically narrowed her eyes, but a small smile betrayed her cautious amusement.

The wizard nodded solemnly.

"Would I have to drink it?" Sophie asked. "Because that's not happening. I will never let you serve me another drink."

Howl shook his head as solemnly as before. "No, it is more of a balm. Completely topical."

Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Hmmmm."

"Would you like me to cast it?" Howl asked. "I promise, you'll like this spell much better than the last one."

Upon her slight nod of assent, Howl leaned forward and gently, sweetly, kissed her.

Leaning back a couple inches, he looked at her with the practiced eye of a wizard. "Feeling better?"

Sophie reclaimed one of her hands and placed it on her heart. "Hmmm. No ... still a little sore."

Howl kissed her again.

"How was that?"

She smiled. "Balmy."

"Balmy?" Howl looked offended. "You get to kiss this handsome face and that's all you can say?"

"Handsome?!" Sophie replied incredulously. "You think I love you for your _looks_? Ha! I love you in spite of them."

As the couple bickered all the way back to the castle, the flowers bloomed and the sun brightened.

Harmony was restored.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks to all you patient readers. Hopefully I made the wait worth your while (whatever that phrase actually means). As you may sense, the story is drawing to a close. So savor these final moments with my version of Howl and Sophie. It's been quite the ride for me, as well._


	30. The Color of Love

**Chapter 30 - The Color of Love  
**

_Ding-ding. _

"Aaaannndd we're closed!" Calcifer yelled cheerily as Howl locked the Port Haven door.

"Thank heavens this day is over!" Sophie sighed as she sank into an armchair. "I don't think the store's had a busier day."

Howl kissed the top of her head in passing. "We have you to thank for that, my dear. The timing of your love-rampage couldn't have been better!"

"Yeah!" Markl said, ignoring the face Sophie childishly pulled behind Howl's back. "The town thought everything was a publicity stunt for the upcoming Couple's Day."

Sulkily sinking further into the chair, Sophie muttered, "At least it saved my reputation. I'm still the _crazy-love-lady_, but now I'm the _lady-who-acted-like-a-crazy-love-lady-for-business._"

Howl exaggeratedly wrinkled his nose. "What's this I hear? My fair lady _says _she is fine, but methinks she still be grumpy. Would my lady like a cup of -"

A couch pillow hitting his face effectively interrupted him.

Sophie jumped to her feet and headed to the kitchen. "I'll get dinner _and _the drinks, thank you very much."

Rubbing his cheek, Howl rushed into the kitchen after her. "Let me help with dinner - I'll cook!"

Markl whispered to Calcifer, "That's what men are supposed to do after a fight, right? Make dinner? Master Howl is so good at being romantic!"

Calcifer snorted rudely. "Got it all wrong, kid. Pretty sure he just hates her cooking."

Sophie entered the living room with the tea tray in time to hear Calcifer's last statement. "Now that's not true. Howl loves my cooking! Don't you, Howl?"

Howl quickly took a huge bite of bread and mumbled vague mumbles. "Mmm-hmmm. Mmm, mm-mm."

"Oh, you slither-outer," Sophie said darkly.

Howl swallowed and then smiled his most charming smile. "Why don't we sit down and enjoy the delicious tea you prepared, dear?"

Sophie's mouth started smiling back before she could stop it. _That devilish smile of his gets me every time_, she thought irritably as she set the tea tray down on the table. _Bet he got away with murder as a child. _

Once they had finished setting the table, Howl looked over his shoulder and said, "Come and eat, Markl!"

"Could you get another fork, Howl?" Sophie asked. The wizard started to wave his hand. "Without magic. Please."

Howl nodded and headed to the kitchen, but still mumbled _"It's like living in the blooming dark ages!" _loud enough for her to hear.

Markl giggled at the exchange as he loaded his plate with food. Just as he was reaching for a cup of tea, however, Sophie's touch stopped him.

"Not that cup," she whispered, instead placing it at Howl's spot. In response to Markl's inquisitive glance, she simply put a finger to her lips and mouthed _Shhhhh! _to both him and Calcifer.

"Oh this is gonna be good!" the fire demon exclaimed, turning three different shades of orange in excitement.

"What is?" Howl asked. He slowly walked into the room, dragging the fork behind him as if it weighed a hundred pounds to emphasize the difficulty of normal work.

"The leftovers, of course!" Calcifer replied gleefully.

"Only if I leave some for you, chubby flames," Howl teased.

"Oh, I'm more worried about Sophie leaving leftovers," the fire demon crowed.

"Ignore him, Howl," Sophie interrupted, glaring meaningfully at the demon. "Come and eat."

And he did. And they did. They sat and ate and enjoyed one another's company.

It seemed as if the love spell debacle was behind them, for it was only mentioned once - when Howl was about to drink his tea.

He lifted the cup to his lips and then paused, roguishly glancing over the rim at Sophie. "You didn't put anything in my tea, did you?"

Sophie looked down demurely. "Why, Howl. You always say the most unkind things."

Chuckling, Howl drank his tea.

And when everyone else started chuckling later in the dinner, he just thought they were finally learning to appreciate his finely honed humor.

Towards the end of the dinner, the clueless man excused himself to use the restroom. As soon as his heels disappeared from view, Sophie got up from the table and started tiptoeing towards her coat.

"I'll just go," she mouthed to the boy and fire.

Calcifer managed to say through his laughter, "You are so bad!"

Markl, who had been stifling his chuckles with a napkin, pulled it away long enough to say, "How long do you think before he notices?"

"SOPHIE!"

Sophie squealed at the surprise of the yell and started running towards the safety of her room.

Howl leaped down the stairs four at a time, his face red from anger and embarrassment.

His face was almost as red as his hair.

"Why must you always sabotage me?" he yelled in despair as he chased her through the living room. She reached her room and tried to slam the door shut, but Howl caught the doorknob and stopped it from closing the last few inches.

"Sabotage? Red's a lovely color!" she laughed through the crack of her door.

"Not this shade!" Howl exclaimed. "It's like ... like a tomato!"

"Or a sunburn," Markl said helpfully.

"Or roadkill," Calcifer snickered.

"See? It's hideous!"

Sophie abruptly let go of the door handle, causing Howl to lose his balance and fall on the ground.

She leaped over his prone body and ran for the front door. Before closing it, she stuck her head back in the living room and yelled, "Red, my dear sir, is the color of love!"

The door slammed, muffling her final triumphant yell. "He'll never follow me in public!"

"Oh, won't I?" Howl ran a hand through his hair, tucking a strand behind his ear. His silver earring glinted. "Well, red is the color of love."

And with that, Howl jumped to his feet, brushed off his suit, and ran out the door after her.

_Fin_


End file.
